I'm Only Me When I'm With You
by Chelsea Jay
Summary: Post LS. Rose and Dimitri decided to mutually take a break. After a year apart, they, along with the rest of the gang, are told to come to Court by Abe. Will Rose and Dimitri be able to heal all wounds and finally have their happy ending? What secrets will be revealed? Reading the books. Plot guaranteed.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

**RPOV**:

I was sitting on my bed at the Belikov's house, feeding my baby son, Xavier, when the phone rang. I carefully rearranged Xavier to one arm, and reached for my cell phone with the other.

"Hello?" I answered it.

"Kiz!" The happy tone of my father's voice greeted me from the other end.

"Hey, old man. What do you want this time?" I joked.

"Why can't a father simply call his daughter to chat? Why must there be an ulterior motive?" He sounded offended.

I snorted. "A father can call his daughter to chat any time. But you're Abe Mazur; you don't call just to chat."

Abe chuckled. "True, true. I _do _have a request for you. I want you to fly to Court. A jet is all ready and waiting for you."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

"I want you to pack yours and Xavier's stuff, and get on a jet to Court within the next four hours." Abe replied, his voice deadly serious.

"_Why?_" I asked, slightly ticked.

Abe sighed. "Because there is something I found that I want you to...see."

I didn't miss the way he hesitated at see. "Oh, really? And what would that be?" I asked, tone heavy with sarcasm.

There was silence on the other end. Then Abe sighed again. "Just get here, and I'll tell you."

I frowned. "I don't like surprises." I grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Rose! Just be ready in four hours. Say your goodbyes and all." He sounded irritated now.

I sighed. "Alright." I ended the call just as Xavier finished eating. I put the phone down, and shifted Xavier to my shoulder so I could burp him. Once he did, I set him in his crib, then began moving around, packing things.

I stepped off the jet at court. I wasn't expecting anyone to be there, but a shout of, "Rose!" proved me wrong.

I looked up to see Lissa running towards, with Christian right behind her. Just before Lissa barreled into me, I handed Christian the carseat with Xavier in it, in a totally ninja move. As we hugged, Lissa was screaming my ear off about how much she missed me. I sent Christian a _help me _look, but he just smiled. After a good five minutes of Lissa hanging off of me like a monkey, Christian finally came to my rescue.

"Alright, Lissa. I'm sure Rose would like to breathe some time." You could hear the humor in his voice.

"Oh, sorry, Rose," Lissa giggled, letting me go.

Christian came up to me and gave me a quick hug before handing me my baby. Lissa's smile widened when she saw Xavier.

" Oh, look!" She exclaimed. "It's my favorite nephew!" She picked him up out of his carseat and began to baby talk to him

I rolled my eyes. "Liss, he's your only nephew." I said.

She paused, glaring at me with the heat of an ice cube. "Shut up!" She cried out. "He's still my favorite!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Now you sound like Adrian."

Lissa tensed slightly, but then relaxed, acting as if nothing happened. Apparently, she had forgotten about the fact that the bond had come back. I simply dove into her head for a quick check, to see what made her tense.

I grimaced when I learned the reason. It seemed as if Adrian was here too. I sighed.

"Let's go inside; I'm freezing my ass off!" I said as I turned and made my way to her house.

As I walked into Lissa's house, a small ball of blonde hair tackled me. Thank God Xavier was in Lissa's arms still.

"Rose!" Mia's voice exclaimed from the blonde ball.

I laughed. "Hey Mia!" Then out of nowhere a brown blur collided with me knocking me to the ground completely.

"ROSEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The muffled voice yelled while whoever it was squeezed me tightly. I squeezed back then we separated and I was face to face with the green eyed Moroi princess.

"Jill," I said happily. "You're getting stronger by the day I see." She blushed.

"Whatever," she replied. We all continued our walk to the living room revealing three warm faces and one sullen.

"Mom, old man, Sydney!" I called out.

Sydney smiled, walking up to give me a hug and turning to Lissa to grab Xavier. "Hey Rose," she said as Xavier sneezed in her face.

She scrunched up her face then relaxed. "Always out to get me," she cooed into his tummy while tickling his sides. Everyone watched our exchange in confusion. Sydney was never comfortable around Moroi and dhampirs; Dimitri, Xavier, and I were the only ones she'd calm down around. Not even Abe could calm her, but then again he's kind of intimidating.

I walked over to my parents who were sitting on one of the love seats, and pulled my Mom up and hugged her, then nodded to my father.

"So, ZMEY." I said sarcastically, "What _surprise _did I have to rush here for that couldn't wait until next week when I originally planned to come back?"

Abe smirked. "You have to wait until _everyone _is here," he said cryptically.

"Who are we waiting for; I'd like to get this over with." I replied harshly.

Before he could answer, another person walked through the door.

"You wanted me?" Viktoria asked.

I looked at her, shocked. When she saw me in the room her eyes widened. She leapt towards me, knocking me on the couch next to the loveseat.

"Rose!" She cried out. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean a thing I said. I know you were just looking out for me. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. You did nothing wrong, I was just jealous because I saw the way he was looking at you."

"Vika, Vika, Vika. Calm down. All was forgiven the moment you said it. How could you have possibly known what an asshat he was?" I replied looking at Adrian when I said the word asshat. I'd almost forgotten he was in the room. Viktoria got off me and helped me up.

"Ready to meet your nephew?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened. "Of course I am, where's the little tyke? "She asked excitedly.

I walked over to Sydney and grabbed Xavier out of her arms. Viktoria ran over and stared at him.

"Meet Xavier Mason Hathaway-Belikov," I said proudly. She snatched him out of my arms and started smothering his face in kisses.

"Careful!" I cried out. "He's only five months you know! Wait you don't know, because if you'd come home and visited when Babushka told you to you would have seen him." I replied snidely, darkness coming out to play.

"Must be _that_ time of the month," Adrian remarked.

I turned to glare at him. "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all, jerk!" I was fuming; I cannot believe he's still holding what happened against me. I apologized over and over but he just didn't seem to understand.

"Adrian," Lissa growled. "Drop it, none of us want you here but Abe said you had to be here so just shut the hell up and leave it alone." I heard a few gasp from the room's occupants; Lissa rarely swore and she was never snarky. I think she's been hanging around Christian too much. Adrian opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it quickly. Just then Sonya and Mikhail walked into the room.

"You summoned us, your majesty?" Sonya inquired.

"Lissa, please." She said politely, "and yes. You're needed here for a...few days. Abe got a package."

"So," I said looking at Abe. "Can we open this _package_ that's such a big surprise so we can go now?"

"We still have a few guests coming, Kiz. Are you ever patient?" He asked while I rolled my eyes.

"Can a fish breathe out of water?" I asked sarcastically as my father chuckled.

"A chip off the old block," he said, and my mother giggled. I mean she actually giggled.

There had to be something going on and I was going to find out.

"Whatever, old man." I replied snarkily. At that moment Eddie walked in with two people in tow.

"Eddie," I screamed racing towards him. He opened his arms to envelope me in a bear hug.

"Hey there Rosy Posy," he said smirking.

"I should knock that smirk right off your face!" I replied huffily, but with a smile on my face. I looked behind him to see Alberta and the sexiest man on earth. I swear Dimitri had to be sex on legs; the police should have him fined for being so damn gorgeous. I smirked.

"Hey Alberta," I said, walking up to hug her. "How has it been at the Academy? I missed you guys, even _Stan_." I remarked with a slight look of disgust on my face when I mentioned Stan's name.

Alberta laughed. "We missed you too, Rose," She said. Then she glanced at Viktoria and did a double take.

"I didn't know you had a child, Viktoria," she said with a puzzled look on her face.

"I don't." Viktoria replied handing him to me as I laughed.

"This little bugger is mine," I said positioning him in my arms. "Alberta, I proudly present Xavier Mason." Her eyes lit up. I glanced at Dimitri and he looked upset for a second before he put his mask in place.

"I wasn't aware you had a child," she said hesitantly while sneaking a peek at Dimitri.

"Me neither, until he popped out." I joked as everyone in the room, even Adrian, burst into hysterics. "Old man, can we get that surprise now or are we waiting for pigs to fly too?" I asked sarcastically. He narrowed his eyes at me then sighed.

"I suppose so," he said thoughtfully, dragging each word out.

I groaned. "Just tell us!" I burst out.

"Fine, _little girl_." He said emphasizing the last two words. Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes. "I got these six books in the mail and a letter stating to call you all here. So let's read some books." He finished enthusiastically.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously? You called me and my son here to read a fucking book, when he could be spending time with his other grandparents? Old man, have you finally lost your mind?" I screeched.

"Nope," he said smugly. "My mind is right where it's been ever since I had you."

I groaned, but then had a brilliant idea. I looked at Abe, trying not to smile. "Alright then." I turned to Dimitri. "Oh, and Comrade, this is your son. Let's read some books!" I said with faked eagerness, plopping down on a couch. I tried not to burst out laughing.

"What?" Dimitri spluttered out.

I giggled slightly. "Just kidding, Comrade!" Christian and Eddie snorted with laughter as Lissa, Mia, Jill, and Sydney tried to contain their laughs.

"What's so funny?" Dimitri asked. Alberta looked from me to Dimitri and sighed then took a seat in one of the chairs. You'd think she was watching a movie, but then again this conversation would be entertaining. The only thing missing is the popcorn.

"Rose," Viktoria warned. "You shouldn't play around like that. It's bad enough everyone knows except for him." I shot her a haughty look.

"Vika, drop it." I said angrily then I looked to Dimitri. "I was only kidding about the let's read part. Xavier is indeed your son. The resemblance is uncanny, not even you could deny it."

Dimitri looked startled. "I have a son? Why didn't you ever tell me?" He asked, looking at me accusingly.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Because you needed time away, and I knew if I told you, you would be your noble self and come help me raise the baby, when you weren't ready. So, I decided to tell you when you were ready to be with me again." I said simply.

I thought back to the day we decided to take a break...

_Dimitri stormed into our apartment, look agitated. _

"_Dimitri?" I looked up from the computer, where I had been writing up a report. "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing!" He bit out. He collapsed on the bed, burying his head in his hands._

"_Comrade?" I walked up to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"_

_He shook his head. I let him sit and figure things out for a few minutes until he was ready to tell me about whatever it was. I sat down on the bed next to him quietly. Finally, Dimitri looked up, looking distraught._

"_I saw - I saw the - the family of one of my victims," he began, his voice breaking. "I knew who they were because I made the family watch while I killed their daughter." He had tears running down his face now. "I -" He broke off, a sob coming through._

_I rubbed his shoulder, letting him cry it out. He looked up. "I can't do this, Rose," He said in an agonized whisper. Suddenly, he stood up, shaking me off. He began passing back and forth, a look of utter concentration on his face. He whirled around to face me after a few minutes. _

"_Rose, I don't want to hurt you, please understand. But...I'm not completely healed yet. I thought I was, but I'm not. Can we take a break? We can still talk as friends, but I'm not ready to be in a relationship now. I can't be a good boyfriend with this on my mind. I swear to you that once I'm ready, I will be back in your arms. I just...need this," He looked at me, pleading me to understand. I was numb. He wanted to break it off? But - But...As I looked at him, I knew that's what he needed, and he needed it with my full support. So, taking a deep breath, I mustered up a smile._

"_Of course, Comrade. Take as long as you need. Just not too long," I swallowed back my tears, but I knew he saw them._

_He wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry, Roza. So, so, sorry." He murmured. _

_That night, we made love for the last time. He packed his things after getting a position at St. Vlad's, and hopped on the next plane out._

_Three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. _

I blinked back from the flashback.

Dimitri looked at me curiously. I just shook my head, and then wordlessly held out Xavier, offering him to his father.

Dimitri reverently took Xavier into his arms.

"His full name is Xavier Mason Hathaway-Belikov," I said quietly.

Dimitri looked at the baby in his arms with awe. "He looks so much like me," he murmured, his eyes shining. Everyone backed away and talked quietly on the opposite side of the room, giving us our moment.

I looked at Xavier. "That's your daddy," I said, smiling.

Dimitri began murmuring to Xavier in Russian. Xavier looked up at his daddy with happiness, giving him a gummy smile. Dimitri's face lit up with his rare full smile, the joy shining out like the sun after a rainy day. Dimitri began to tickle his tummy and Xavier giggled. I smiled at my men as they met for the first time; already they were entranced with each other as I'd always known they would be.

"I'll just leave you two alone for a moment," I said turning around to walk away but Dimitri grabbed me by the forearm.

"No Roza, stay..." He pulled me into his arms, so that Xavier was cradled in one arm, while the other was around me. "I missed you," He said, putting his face in my hair for a moment, before looking at Xavier again. "Thank you for giving me such a beautiful child." He pressed a quick kiss on the top of my head, causing my whole body to heat up. It felt so good to be back in his arms. It had been too long; talking as friends wasn't enough, nor would it ever be.

"Well, I didn't do it alone," I quipped as he released me. I stood there for a few moments watching Dimitri play with Xavier. When I turned to walk away this time it wasn't Dimitri who stopped me, it was Xavier who was cooing 'dada, dada' over and over again. Dimitri's and my face lit up as the rest of the room turned to us.

"OH MY GOD!" Lissa squealed, sprinting to get the camera out of her room. "Xavi's first words. He said his first words!" She said as she ran back in to video tape it.

"Geez Liss, calm down." Adrian said pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. "You act like you gave birth to _it_," he said venomously. Everybody in the room gasped except for Dimitri, Lissa, and me. I'd expected this behavior from him but I didn't think he'd start this soon or take it out on my child. Before I could yell at him Lissa intercepted me.

"PUT THAT CIGARETTE OUT RIGHT NOW!" She screeched marching over to him snatched not only the cigarette in his hand but the pack in his pocket. "There will be no smoking with _my godson_ in this house," she said fuming. I thought she would comment on his last statement but I could see she was having as hard a time controlling herself as Dimitri and I were.

"Excuse me; I know this may be known of my business but Adrian you are out of line." She said calmly adding, "I know you and Rose have a disagreement right now, but there is no reason for you to take it out on an innocent child. Besides, you and I both know it never would have worked out."

He glared at her for a hot minute then downed the bottle of Jack in five gulps. I sighed and turned to face my father, but not before seeing Adrian trash the empty bottle and grabbing another then trudging to his seat.

"Let's just start this before anymore bullshit happens," I said as I picked up the book on top. To my surprise it was a picture of me when I was seventeen on it. I gasped then showed everyone the cover and they gasped too.

"Looks like our Rosie is a star," Christian said sardonically as everyone took a seat and Dimitri put Xavier in his playpen by one of the couches. I flipped Sparky off then turned the book over.

**Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic,** I read.

"Duh, Caption Obvious" said Christian as I glared at him.

**She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires-the ones who never die.**

"They do die," Dimitri said.

"After we kill them; if we didn't stake them do you think they would die?" I said while rolling my eyes.

**The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.**

"Not on my watch!" I exclaimed and everyone laughed.

**After two years of illicit freedom, **

"That was fucking awesome!" I yelled while Lissa laughed. _Rose calm down even though I do miss being normal__,_ she said through the bond.

**Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.**

"Yeah, you sure are good at that," Adrian muttered bitterly.

I frowned and opened my mouth to comment but thought better of it, and continued reading instead.

**Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's-but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. **

"You make it sound like a prison," Alberta stated as Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Mia, and I locked eyes.

"IT WAS!" we shouted in unison causing everyone else to break out in laughter.

**Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...**

"Hasn't happened and never will," I replied to the book then looked up. "Okay, who's reading first?"

"I will, since I called everyone here." said my dad. "Chapter One..."

**Author's Note:**

Tatiana Belikova and I (ChelseaJayBaybeh) would like thank you for taking your time to read our story. This is our first collaboration and we plan to do a lot with this story _as well as_ have an actual plot. If you'd like to check out Tatiana Belikova's works you can find them at ( www . fanfiction . net / u / 3759287 / ) just remove the spaces and all should be fine.

Also please check out my other stories as well, Kissed By The Shadows ( www . fanfiction . net / s / 8069135 / 1 / Kissed _ by _ the _ Shadows ) and Paradise Road ( www . fanfiction . net / s / 8130754 / 1 / Paradise _ Road ), just remove the spaces and you will be directly linked.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

**RPOV**:

**I FELT HER FEAR BEFORE I heard her screams.**

I groaned out loud after hearing the line.

"What's wrong?" Eddie asked.

I sighed. "It's in my point of view." I grumbled.

Christian laughed. "So we get to know what really goes on in your head. This is awesome! I'm gonna have sooo much to hang over your head once this is done."

I glared at him. "Oh, Sparky, you best be carefully. You wouldn't believe the amount of dirt I have on you from the bond," I threatened.

He gulped, but before he could say anything else Abe began reading again.

** Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me.**

Everybody in the room chuckled. "Of course that's what you would be dreaming," Mia said.

I simply glared at her. "Hey, I can't control what I dream."

"I can!" Adrian piped up, but then seemed to remember he was mad at me and took a swig of Jack.

** Images—hers, not mine— tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car. The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't _my _dream.**

"Wait, wait, wait! This can't be Rose!" Christian interrupted – again. "She doesn't have a rational part!" He smirked, thinking he was so funny.

I glared at him. "Well, if I don't have a rational part, then there's nothing stopping me from beating the crap out of you, now is there?" I gave him my psycho smile, and he paled.

"My point exactly." I settled back into the couch, glancing down into the playpen in front of me to check on my son.

Abe began reading again.

**I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead.**

**Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us.**

Lissa shuddered as memories of the nightmare flashed through her mind again. I leaned over Vika and pulled Lissa to my chest wrapped my arms around her, and then whispered in her ear, "You're not there, Liss. You're here."

After a few moments, she finally calmed down.

"Thanks," she murmured, smiling at me. I nodded, releasing her and settling myself back into the comfort of my seat on our couch.

Abe sighed with irritation. "Can I read without being interrupted now?"

I simply looked at him until he looked back to the book with a huff.

**"Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."**

**Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh God."**

Adrian snickered. "You have no idea how wrong that sounds. Haha."

I sighed exasperatedly, while Mia shook her head. "It only sounds wrong because you're drunk out of your mind," she said snidely.

Abe ignored them, and plowed on through the chapter.

**I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up." After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair. "It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

Pyro apparently couldn't let this moment pass without a comment. "Wow, Rose, what's this? You're being nice? Did you hit your head one too many times?" He asked, mock concerned. "All the brain cells are finally dead? Oh, wait, you don't have any!" He started laughing, until I got up and slapped him across the face. Not too hard, but enough that he felt a sting.

"Ouch! What was that for, bitch?" He asked, rubbing his face.

"There's a baby in the room! Don't swear!" I spat, tiredness, and a bit of darkness coming through.

"Rose, calm down," Lissa said, putting a calming hand on my arm. I felt a slight surge of spirit, and some of the darkness went away. I took a deep breath before going back to my seat.

"Hey! Aren't you going to apologize for hitting me?" Christian asked, rubbing his face.

I put on a confused face. "Whatever for?" I asked innocently. "You swore in front of my baby."

Christian muttered underneath his breath, but didn't reply.

**"I had that dream." **

**"Yeah. I know." **

**We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window.**

My mom looked surprised. "You had a cat?"

I looked at her like she was stupid. "It was our housemate's cat, mom. I just said so."

Mom frowned, but didn't say anything else.

**He gave me a wide berth—animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason—but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.** **"When did we last do a feeding?" I asked, studying her face.**

Mom looked at me sharply. "What? Feeding!" She exclaimed.

I shrugged, keeping my head held high. "How else was Lissa supposed to get blood? The feeder room on the human campus? Hardly." I snorted.

Mom frowned again. "But you could have become addicted." She said.

"But I didn't," I said pointedly. "So let's just leave this in the past, where it belongs." Abe started again.

**Her fair skin was paler than usual.** **Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School had been hectic this week, **

"I can't believe that you actually went to school while you were gone," Alberta said, shaking her head with amazement.

I shrugged. "Lissa wanted to, so I did," I said simply.

**and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood. "It's been** **like…more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"**

**She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to—" **

**"Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. **

"You sound so eager for it, Rose. Like _you _wanted to be drank from, not simply because you wanted your friend healthy," Adrian said snarkily. "Reminds me of that time you wanted me to drink from you. I still remember the look of bliss on your face. Was it as good?" My eyes widened.

Everyone in the room froze. You could hear a pin drop. Then, as if the play button was pressed, everyone unfroze. Mia reached over to him and slapped him in the face. Dimitri leaped up.

"You do not speak to her like that!" He snarled, angry sparks practically flying from his eyes.

Even Christian's eyes blazed. "You ever say something like that, and I'll burn you to a crisp like I did that Strigoi who almost killed Rose." I remembered the Strigoi he had disintegrated during the attack, and shuddered slightly.

"How could you say such a disgusting lie like that?" Lissa cried out, jumping up to glare at him.

This last comment made me want to go dig myself a hole, crawl into it, and die. I'd forgotten that Lissa didn't know. For that matter, the only other person besides Adrian and I that knew was Dimitri. I swallowed nervously, and then stood up, looking at Adrian calmly.

"I was in a bad place that day," I said evenly. "And the only reason why I _allowed _you to drink from me is because I didn't want to have unprotected sex, and I needed an escape."

"You're as bad as all the other Royals, spreading - wait, _what!"_ Lissa spun around, looking at me with shock. "You - you actually let him...?"

I looked down, ashamed. "I - it was - I just needed to get out of my own head," I said softly.

I felt shock and disgust from the bond. I swallowed back tears. It seemed as though both the men in my life, or who were in my life, were hell bent on making me a blood whore.

She heard my thoughts. For a moment, I had forgotten the bond was now two-way. Thank God she couldn't get into my head, though. _Oh, Rose, I'm sorry, _she sent. _Are you - are you sure you're not, you know, addicted?_

I looked up at her, shocked. "Hell, yeah! I'm positive! This was over two years ago!"

She still looked doubtful. Eddie stepped in. "Rose isn't a blood whore, Liss. Trust me. She's been through a lot, and you shouldn't judge her. I think that it's a blessing that she only did that. At least she went to someone we all know and somewhat trust, not some random stranger who would have probably raped her afterwards."

I decided it wasn't worth the argument to correct him, telling him I didn't go to Adrian just for him to drink my blood, but for comfort, which led to almost sex, which led to the blood-drinking. I saw Sydney nodding her head from the corner of my eye, but she didn't comment.

Lissa suddenly felt ashamed. "I'm sorry," She said, looking down.

I shook my head. "It's alright." I went over to her and gave her a hug. Over her shoulder, I saw my mom crying, and Abe comforting her. I felt 10 times worse, more so because my mom never cries.

"Mom..." I said softly, pulling away from Lissa. Mom pulled away from Abe, shaking her head.

"It's alright, Rose. I understand. You had your reasons." She gave me a watery smile.

Everybody finally settled down again, and got back to the book.

"Now where was I?" Abe asked, skimming over the page. "Ah! Right here."

**No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance. "Come on. Let's do this." **

**"Rose—" **

**"Come on. It'll make you feel better." **

No one made a comment about my insistence this time.

**I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire. **

Lissa blushed when she heard the last sentence. Christian smiled. "For once, I agree with the psycho," he said, looking at Lissa adoringly.

Lissa ducked her head, burying it in his chest.

Abe's eyes flashed. "The next person," he said through gritted teeth, "who interrupts me will be a pile of ash on the floor!"

Christian's eyes widened and he pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key. I chuckled.

**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation. I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake. **

I shifted uncomfortably.

**Her fangs bit into me, hard, and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high. Better than sex—or so I imagined, since I'd never done it. **

This time, Mia interrupted. It appeared as if her shock was greater than the wrath of Abe Mazur

"Wait, wait, wait! You were a virgin?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide.

I nodded. "I'm not the whore you all seem to think I am."

Mia blushed. "I didn't think you were a whore, but I didn't think you were a virgin either."

"How many guys have you slept with?" Viktoria asked, looking at me curiously.

I felt heat snake its way up my cheeks. "One," I said, embarrassed.

Viktoria looked shocked. "One?"

I nodded. "Yup, Dimitri." I held my head high, but I could feel my cheeks flaming. I peeked over to Dimitri to see a look of embarrassment, and male pride on his face. I snickered.

Abe glared. "What did I say about interrupting me!" He snapped.

Mia jumped. "Sorry," she said in a small voice.

**It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was. **

I shivered at the memory of the feeling.

Mia looked at me curiously. "Is that how it always feels?" She asked, not meanly, but with genuine curiosity.

I hesitated, but nodded. "Yeah, it's like the greatest pleasure in the world..." I trailed off, inadvertently remembering what it felt like while I was turned on.

**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute. She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"**

**"I…yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss. "I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine." **

Eddie rolled his eyes. "A clear indication that you are not, indeed, okay," he said in a philosophical voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, waving him off.

** Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat." **

Mom nodded approvingly. "Food and sleep will help immensely."

I sniggered. "Too bad I got neither."

Mom opened her mouth to reply, but Abe plowed over. She looked at him, offended.

** My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence.**

**The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window. "You don't know what you're missing," I told him. His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching. **

** My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, **

"The world always spins," Viktoria said smartly.

I shook my head with mock sadness. "That was just sad, Vika, so, so sad."

She stuck her tongue out at me, but didn't reply.

**and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar.**

Alberta shook her head. "As long as you could move you would have made your way to the window, because you're just that stubborn."

I grinned. "Thank you. And yes, yes I would." I turned my attention to the book once more.

**He eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention. **

**A warm breeze—unseasonably warm for a Portland fall— played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. **

Sydney looked surprised. "You were on a college campus? How on earth were you able to get in?" She asked.

I shrugged. "We had our ways," I said mysteriously.

Lissa laughed.

**The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses.**

Mom shook her head disapprovingly. "There's your mistake. You stayed there too long."

I raised my eyebrows. "I thought you wanted us to be brought back?" I inquired.

Mom nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't comment on your mistakes."

I looked down, a little hurt by what she said.

**Across the road, a street light flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes. **

**And a man watching me. **

Mia, Sydney, and Viktoria gasped in unison. _Girls. _I thought sarcastically.

**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I probably could have thrown something and hit him. He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done. **

"You make it sound so kinky," Adrian slurred out.

I ignored him, turning instead to Dimitri. "Did you see?" I asked.

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. And after seeing how you were with her, it made my respect for you go way up," he replied in that velvety accent of his.

**The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall. He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both. **

"Wait, so they were eaten?" Adrian asked, sounding completely lost.

There was silence as we tried to figure out if he was serious. Then Christian replied, "Yes, Adrian, the shadows ate them," his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sydney sighed, and reached over, taking his bottle of Jack Daniels. "I think you've had enough," she said firmly.

Adrian pouted, but couldn't seem to focus on anything as his gaze wandered around the room, his face slack.

**Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge. **

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me. **

**Icy fear raced through me, almost—but not quite—eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite. **

Nobody made a sound; everyone who wasn't there was sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation - except for Adrian who was in his own world.

**Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process.**

Adrian perked up at that. "Were you naked?" He asked.

No one paid any attention to him, and after sending a glare his way, Abe continued reading.

**Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door. **

"'First shoes you saw'?" Alberta exclaimed. "How many shoes did you have?"

Lissa shrugged. "We were on the run for two years; we were bound to stock up."

Mikhail shook his head, but stayed quiet.

**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book. **

**Lissa regarded me with surprise. **

**"You shouldn't be up." **

**"We have to go. Now." **

**Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you…really? Are you sure?" **

**I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did. **

Christian hiss out a laugh. "The cat told you."

I glared at him. "My fist is about to tell you to shut up!" I threatened.

He stopped talking.

**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?" **

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."**

**He looked back and forth between us. "What are you—" **

**Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust. **

Lissa looked at me, shock. "Of course you are, Rose! Don't you ever doubt that!" She exclaimed.

I smiled. "Thanks, sis. I trust you with my life too."

**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly. **

Sydney and Mom looked outraged. "Compulsion!" They cried out at the same time.

I frowned. "What else were we supposed to do?" I asked reasonably.

"Not use compulsion!" Mom snapped.

"It's wrong! You're taking someone's God given free will away!" Sydney said indignantly.

Lissa looked down, feeling ashamed of her actions. I glared at them. "Are you done now? We didn't have a choice!"

"You could have stayed at the Academy," Mom said, glaring at me.

Before I could retaliate, Abe began reading again, over taking both of our voices. Both of turned us our glares on him, but he simply ignored them.

**"We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?" **

**He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. **

"It _is _wrong," Sydney said, but was kept from further comment by Abe's glare.

**Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain. **

**"Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?" **

**"Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away. **

**"Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight." **

Abe was the one who said something this time. "You can do that?" He asked, sounding impressed.

Lissa nodded cautiously. Abe got a thoughtful look on his face, but before he could plot too much, I called out, "Get on with it, Old man. I wanna get out of this room before I'm as old as you."

He gave me an annoyed look, but started reading again.

**He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now. **

**"Come on," I told her. "We've got to move." **

**We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a few times to stop me from falling. **

Sonya frowned. "You shouldn't be doing this. You'll hurt yourself."

I sigh. "I know, but it's in the past now."

**All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with. **

Christian gasped dramatically. "_The_ Rose Hathaway? Fears? Never!" He declared, voice fill to the brim and spilling over with sarcasm.

I glared at him. "If you don't shut up, _I _will become one of _your _fears!"

Christian just smirked. "Oh, Rosie, you're already one of my fears. The fear that while you're stuffing your face with food, you'll eat me too."

"Nah, I'd notice if what I was eating tasted like burnt dog shit. I'd stop and spit you out." I replied.

Christian glared, but didn't continue.

**"Rose…what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered. **

**"They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them." **

**"But if they've found us—" **

**"They found us before. They didn't catch us then. **

Alberta frowned. "We've never found you before." She said, puzzled.

"I know," I said. "Victor found us; he sent psi hounds after us."

Mia gasped in horror. "Psi hounds? How the hell did you get out of that one?"

"Hey!" Christian butted in. "She swore, and you're not yelling at her!"

I gave him a deadpan stare. "That's because I actually like her."

Christian huffed in annoyance. "Oh you know you love me! Don't deny it!"

I snorted. "I'll admit I love you when hell freezes over."

"Actually..."Sydney began. "According to Dante's Inferno, the ninth circle of hell is frozen wasteland. So technically, Hell _is _frozen over. Or at least in part."

I gave her an annoyed look. "Not helping Sydney!"

Christian laughed his hyena laugh. "Oh burn!"

"Okay then, I'll admit I love you when...Lissa admits she hates you," I finished triumphantly.

Christian glared. "That's not even fair."

"What's not fair is the fact that you won't let me finish a sentence without interrupting me!" Old man seethed with frustration. "So why don't you all shut up and let me finish!"

**We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail." **

**I made it sound simple. I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom. **

**She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened— sometimes recklessly so. **

Jill looked at me incredulously. "Sometime? _Sometimes?" _She cried out.

I ducked my head with embarrassment. "Okay, so almost always, better?" I corrected myself.

Jill nodded. "Yes, that's fine, although all the time would be the truest."

**She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate. **

**Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarden, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we'd—or rather, I'd—responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target. **

**Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since. **

Most everyone laughed at the story. "That's how you became friends?" Vika asked, tears practically pouring down her face from laughing so hard.

"I can see it now," Dimitri said, chuckling.

After a few minutes, everyone finally calmed down enough for Abe to continue.

**"Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly. **

The fun atmosphere dissipated as everyone leaned forward to hear what was happening eagerly.

**It took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go. **

**"We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm. **

**"But you can't—" **

_**"Run."**_

** It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete.**

"I let it slide with the cat because you were fresh off a bite, but really Rose? Talking to inanimate objects is crazy even for you. Should we be worried?" Christian quipped.

"Only if they start talking back," Eddie said comically before I could reply. "Do they talk back Rose? Do we need to get you a doctor?" As Eddie, Christian, and Adrian laughed I glared at him then shot Jill a look of exasperation. She caught the look and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He shouted. "What was that for?" He asked her but she just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him.

"Leave Rose alone," she said as he sighed. Abe glared at us then began reading before anyone else could speak.

**Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort—particularly since she was barefoot—but tonight, she was all that held me upright. **

**The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it— **

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was him, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven. **

I looked at Dimitri curiously. "How tall are you?"

"6'6," he replied.

**And under different circumstances—say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape—I would have thought he was hot. Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat—a duster, I thought it was called. **

"How the hell did you know what it was called?" Viktoria asked. "I didn't even know what it was called and I lived with him!"

"I don't know!" I said, irritated. "I think Eric said it one time while he was watching a western." I reminisced the times with Eric and Rhea - they were the family I never had.

**But his hotness was irrelevant now. **

"Didn't stop you from sleeping with him," Adrian half slurred half muttered before taking a huge swig of Jack that he somehow got back .

**He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many. **

"We should know," I said grinning at Lissa. Even though I was head of her Royal Guard I didn't guard her; Eddie had taken my place after we got him reinstated as a Guardian so I could take care of my son until he goes off to school.

**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, **

Christian shook his head sadly. "Rose, Rose, Rose, how many times do I have to tell you? You. Do. Not. Have. A. Higher. Reasoning." He said slowly, as if talking to a mentally challenged person.

I glared at him. "And how many times do I have to tell you? My lack of higher reasoning means nothing can stop me from allowing my fist to meet your face." I barked back.

"How many times -"

"Enough!" Lissa cried out, pushing both of us back. I hadn't even realized we were getting into each other's faces.

**I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader. **

**"Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her." **

**His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate. **

"You _are_ an animal that needs to be sedate - and never allowed to wake up," Adrian muttered under his breath.

I swallowed back the hurt that one sentence caused me. "Shut up, Adrian! No one was talking to you!" I snapped, letting my attitude take over.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Something else you don't like about me? My talking? Oh, but of course, you used to always tell me to be quiet, but I guess I was too blind to see how much you really meant that, too."

I gritted my teeth, getting really sick and tired of Adrian's bullshit. "Why don't you cry me a river, and then go drown in it!" I snarled, darkness leaking in again.

Jill gasped. "Rose!" She said reproachfully.

Dimitri put a calming hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Roza," he said evenly.

Lissa reached over to my neck, where the silver necklace hung, and infused it with spirit, making me feel ten times better.

"Thank you," I said, giving her a small smile.

She nodded, returning the smile. "No problem."

**"I'm not going to—" **

**He took a step forward. Too close. **

**I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out. **

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. **

"And Dimitri is faster than most," Mikhail said admiringly.

I looked at Dimitri and saw a slight red tint to his cheeks. Aww, Dimitri was blushing.

**He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I don't think he meant to strike that hard—probably just intended to keep me away—but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A lot.**

All the girls in the room winced except for me and Lissa, while Adrian looked amused.

**Only it didn't. **

"Why didn't it?" Sonya asked as Adrian's amusement diminished and he muttered something indistinguishable under his breath. I frowned.

"You'd know if you all would shut up and just let me read," Abe said, clearly irritated.

"Sorry," she muttered as he began to read again.

**Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me—or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. **

"Was there really a need to be that descriptive?" Sydney asked looking a little sick. I ignored her and looked at my old man so he'd know to continue.

**Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason. **

**The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted. **

Mia giggled. "Do you have any idea how wrong that sounded?"

I felt a blush creep up my face. "What is up with you people and your dirty minds?" I exclaimed. "I didn't mean it that way! Jeez."

Viktoria shuddered with horror. "Oh, God, the mental images!"

I rolled my eyes. Drama queen.

**Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. **

**"Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."**

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion—she wouldn't use that on me—but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat. **

Sonya looked surprised. "I thought you would fight more."

"I knew it was pointless by that point. That doesn't mean I liked it, but I knew fighting would get us nowhere, but maybe more hurt."

**Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height. "My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess." **

"Now that I'm _finally_ done who'd like to read next?" sneered the Old Man. He looked around the room until his eyes settled on me. A Cheshire cat smile lit his features. I started shaking my head no.

"Rose! The star herself! Why don't you read the next chapter?" He said standing and handing the book to me.

I looked at it distastefully until I realized I had no choice but to read it if I ever wanted to get out of here. With a heavy sigh, I began.

"Chapter two..."

A/N: Here is chapter one for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it (: Thank you to everyone who reviewed RiseAgainstItAll, RosenDimitriforever40333, and NekkaLovesChocolate.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

* * *

Before I could start the chapter Xavier began to cry. I looked at my watch and realized it was time to feed him so I threw the book at Viktoria and picked up my son.

"If anyone is uncomfortable with me breastfeeding I advise you to speak now," I stated not really caring whether they were or weren't. The look on my face must have told them because nobody bothered to speak.

I grabbed Xavier's blanket and placed it over him and my chest to avoid roaming eyes. However that didn't stop Dimitri from looking at me like he would snatch my clothes off and take me at any given time. I gave him a quick wink then looked to Viktoria.

"Read this chapter for me, Vika. I'll read the next... promise." I told her sighing. I didn't really want to read _any_ of the books but I might as well read now so they don't bug me later.

"Alright," she replied opening the book to the page.

**MY HATRED NOTWITHSTANDING, **

"Hatred?" Dimitri said frowning.

"What did you expect?" I said half screamed then calmed down trying not to scare Xavier, "I didn't know you back then and you were taking us somewhere we didn't want to go."

"Besides," Lissa countered. "You act like it was supposed to be love at first sight"

"It was for me." He muttered under his breath, and then looked to Vika as she continued to read the book.

**I HAD to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart. After they'd carted us off to the airport to and onto the Academy's private jet, he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.**

"To add insult to injury you can't even remember Belikov's name. At least you admit he's smart." said Christian.

"Shut up!" I barked at him then I told Vika, "Please continue."

**"Don't let them talk to each other," he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."**

"They were probably already in the middle of planning it," said Alberta while I smirked.

"Maybe. Maybe not." I responded humorously.

**I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact we had been planning escape.**

Alberta raised her eyebrow at me. "See," she remarked looking quite amused.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever!" I told her in mock anger, "My _real_ question is how you _knew_ we were already plotting our escape?" I replied looking directly at Dimitri.

"I read your files. Of course it took me a few days to get through them all, but I did." he said wittily.

"Bet my files were more entertaining than those old west novels you're always reading," I retorted. He opened his mouth to say something but Viktoria cut him off.

**As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes—or heroines, rather. **

"Thinking rather highly of yourself aren't you Rosie?" teased Christian as I frowned.

"Why_ yes_ I do, and call me Rosie again you'll be eating my fist for brunch!" I said sharply.

The look in his face paled and he muttered something about not being able to take a joke.

"Speaking of brunch, I'm quite hungry. Let's eat after this chapter," my mother said. We all nodded and Vika carried forward with the book.

**Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.**

**No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians. **

"Yeah. No problem." Eddie said, and then Viktoria giggled.

"What?" He asked as I unlatched Xavier from my bosom and began to burp him.

"Sh! If you let me read on you'd know," she replied then pursued on with the chapter.

**Yeah. No problem.**

Everyone in the room laughed.

"Creepy," Christian and I said at the same time.

"Creepier," Eddie and I replied in unison causing the room's occupants to laugh even louder.

I decided to stay quiet just in case me and Sparky shared another moment too. As the laughter died down I laid Xavier back in his crib and told Vika to continue.

**Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back there, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn't care.**

"First of all, Russian Guy? Now I don't have a name at all? Gee, thanks Rose. Second, if you told me then I would have still taken you back. And lastly, of course I cared. I may have just met you both but I did genuinely care about you." Dimitri retorted as I sank back in my seat.

"Maybe he cared for one a little too much," Adrian slurred under his breath and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Dimitri, once again, I didn't know you back then like I do now." I said calmly. "And Adrian, another word and I'll kick your ass to next week," I growled.

**As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat—in her skin even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head. **

"I hate that, how often did it happen?" Lissa asked.

I shrugged. "Whenever your emotions got strong, but I got better at blocking it so no worries. Though I could have done without the nightmares of Fire Crotch naked," I returned as Lissa and Christian blushed.

**Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand—her hand—gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: molnija marks. **

"I feel an explanation coming on," said Sparky snidely as I shot him a dark look.

**They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an X symbol. One for each Strigoi he'd killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark.**

**Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened. Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could.**

**Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, "Were you really going to attack all of us?"**

"Hell yes!" I said.

**I didn't answer.**

**"Doing that…protecting her like that—it was very brave."**

"Try stupid," my mother responded and Alberta nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. "Just keep going," I said to Vika.

**He paused. "Stupid, but still brave. Why did you even try it?"**

"See," Mia retorted. "He called her out on her idiocy." She said.

"HEY!" I yelled out suddenly, scaring Xavier causing him to cry.

"Leave her alone." Eddie droned out as Dimitri picked up Xavier, "she's taking your side."

"Thank you," Mia said winking at him and he blushed. If I didn't know any better I'd think they had something going on. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lissa taking pictures of Dimitri and Xavier with her camera, I glared at her and she put it away.

_Can he get a few private moments with his son before we bombard him with flashes? Geez, Liss!_ I said to her through the bond.

_Fine! But next time he holds him you better take the pictures or I will,_ she replied and I nodded.

**I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian." I turned back toward the window.**

"That was rude; do you have _any_ respect for your elders?" My mother inquired.

"Nope." I said sharply.

"Well learn some!" she muttered loud enough for me to hear her then I grimaced.

**After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet.**

**When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset—the start of the vampiric day—and the campus lay wrapped in shadows.**

"How can you wrap something in a shadow Rose? I think you're insane." Sparky commented.

I snarled at him and then flipped him the bird. I have definitely got to get some weapons when we're done eating, I have a feeling we're going to need them.

**It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school.**

"Hathaway descriptive, who would have known?" remarked Pyro.

I could feel my anger level rise slightly. "Pyro, I swear if you don't shut your mouth I'll shut it for you!" I barked out.

"Oh, I'm so scared." He returned.

"Sh!" Lissa said while slapping him on the back of the head.

**We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west.**

"Just how big is this campus?" Sydney asked. "It sounds really beautiful."

"About the size of college campus," Alberta responded.

"Cool, can you take me to see it Rose?" Sydney requested.

"Sure, if you don't mind being surrounded by evil creatures of the night." I claimed.

She smiled, "As long as you and Xavi are around I'm fine. No offense, Mr. Mazur."

"None taken," my dad said.

**Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance.**

**As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri.**

**"Hey, Comrade."**

Dimitri sighed, "I was hoping it'd explain how you gave me that ridiculous name."

"It's not ridiculous," I huffed while narrowing my eyes at him. "Besides, you love it now so you can't really complain now can you?"

"I guess you're right Roza," he said gently rocking Xavier in his arms.

"Good God! Someone alert the media. Rose was right!" Christian quipped.

"Sh!" Jill said as I reached over Lissa and Vika to slap his arm.

"Ow." He bellowed, rubbing his arm.

**He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now?**

**"Are you taking us to Kirova?"**

**"Headmistress Kirova," he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, Don't start something.**

**"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit—"**

"ROSE!" my mother yelled. I just rolled my eyes and ignored her comment.

**My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors—straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people really so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons.**

**And it was breakfast time.**

"Cruel and unusual punishment," Lissa groaned.

"Yeah, whose idea was that anyway?" I asked. Dimitri stiffened with Xavier in his arms; he looked so natural with our little boy.

"Well, I thought it would teach you a lesson," he stated.

"Oh really?" I said more to myself than to him. He must have caught on because he just nodded and left it alone.

**Novice guardians—dhampirs like me—and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us.**

**I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before.**

"Boy were we wrong." I said.

**And on the other side of the room…well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever—maybe more so now—with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do.**

"Then why'd you have to snatch him back from me?" Mia complained.

I scowled at her and she dropped the subject.

**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he'd become a pedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that.**

"I was not jealous," Mia screeched.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure you weren't." I retorted.

"Rose wouldn't ever have to worry about that problem though; she'd probably be the one doing the gawking." Adrian accused and I swear if looks could kill he would be dead.

"Don't shoot the messenger," he slurred. I stood up about to slap him, but Sonya grabbed my arm healing some of the darkness and pulling me back. I quietly thanked her and returned to my seat.

**Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting—Headmistress Kirova's office—didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture. I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office.**

"Since the first day of school, I got an email almost every other day." Janine mumbled.

**Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required.**

**Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her.**

**"Vasilisa."**

**Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one.**

"Very careless," Dimitri stated.

"I believe I made that clear in the sentence, Comrade." I returned.

**With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body.**

"Jerk," Jill muttered under her breath.

**"Uncle," she whispered. **

"He's no family of mine!" Lissa shrieked, and then Christian put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

**She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip.**

**With a small smile, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose."**

"Great add me on as an afterthought why don't you," I snapped.

**I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this—this was horrible. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king.**

"Thank God." Christian retorted.

**Although not technically her uncle—the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals—Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here.**

"Boy had that been a mistake," I said to myself.

**Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat.**

**Time for the lecture.**

**It was a good one—one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids. The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility reckless behavior, self-centeredness.…Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, **

"Yeah, throw me under the bus." Lissa quipped; she really needed some time away from Christian.

**alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office.**

"Always looking for an escape," Eddie said with a smile. "That's the Hathaway we all know and love."

"Speak for yourself," Christian muttered.

**But when the tirade shifted to me—well, that was when I tuned back in.**

**"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it."**

**"Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."**

"Yeah don't blame me!" I cried at the book.

**Ms. Kirova tsked at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back.**

**"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."**

**I snapped.**

"I'm surprised it took this long," said Abe snarkly.

"Whatever, _ZMEY_!" I shot back.

**"I did do my duty!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone. Yet. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you"—I made a sweeping gesture around the room—"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."**

**Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. **

"Too late," said Mikhail. He'd been so quiet I forgot he was even in the room.

**Too late.**

We all turned to look at Mikhail. "What?" He said, "Rose has never been known to control her temper. I've seen it firsthand." I rolled my eyes, he hadn't seen anything. That was for sure.

**Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"**

**I bit my lip.**

"You should have just told us," Dimitri said.

**"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."**

"What stunt?" Sydney, Mia, and Jill asked in accord.

"It's probably in there," I said pointing to the book.

**"No, that's not—"**

**"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."**

**My cockiness dried up. "I…what?"**

"Rose speechless, I wished I'd been there to see that!" Christian exclaimed.

"I wish you'd shut the hell up!" I said hostilely as Lissa sent me calming vibes through the bond.

**Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."**

**"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."**

**"But my parents—"**

**"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."**

**I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone?**

"Of course I did," my mother said with a hint of sadness in her tone.

**Or maybe you'll send me off to my father?"**

Abe glared at me.

**Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it.**

**"Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."**

**"Miss Hathaway," she hissed, "you are out of line."**

"When isn't she?" Joked Christian and Eddie as I stared them down.

**"They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't. **

"Of course you did," Adrian slurred while sipping on his bottle of Jack.

"Shut it!" I barked at Adrian then looking to Dimitri I asked, "How did you know?"

"I'd been watching you that night. Besides you jumped up to comfort her before she even started screaming the night we found you and it reminded me of how Mark is with Oksana." He replied and I just nodded.

**His presence was way too powerful to ignore.** **He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his. He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"**

**I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."**

**"It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."**

"Stalker," Adrian remarked.

"Says the guy who stalked my dreams." I retorted.

**Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his.**

**"That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."**

**"The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri. "In the stories."**

**Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"**

**He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful,**

"Now that's an understatement if I've ever heard one," muttered my mother.

"MOM!" I shouted in mock hurt.

**but if she has potential—"**

**"Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"**

"Ouch," said Christian.

"Exactly how did you two end up together?" Eddie inquired.

**"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her sanctioned guardian."**

"Not anymore," I said to myself smiling.

**"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?"**

"I don't see how you ever fell for each other." Mikhail said intrigued.

I just shrugged, I believe I loved him the moment I met him. I was just pissed that he'd dragged us back to the academy.

**That was pretty mean of me to say—particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent—but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish—red-haired, with a ridiculous accent—and I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get.**

My mother raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

**Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."**

"No, no guardian is a dead moroi." I stated casually.

**"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."**

**"Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."**

**"No, I won't," I argued. No one listened to me.**

"Yes, I was." I said to myself.

**"Then give her extra training sessions," he said.**

**They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope.**

**"Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"**

"I really wasn't expecting that," Dimitri said while putting Xavier in the playpen. He'd fallen asleep in his arms and the sight was so sweet. I'm sure Lissa had taken a few pictures while I wasn't looking, I could feel sneakiness through the bond.

**Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I—"**

**Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

**Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?**

"Both minus the pathetic part," he said.

**"Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."**

**"And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"**

**"Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."**

**His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.**

**Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."**

"Bastard only said that so his plan would work," I muttered harshly. Dimitri put a hand on my arm to comfort me.

**Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, morning and afternoon were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.**

**When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."**

**Oh, Lissa, I thought. Be careful. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous—particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening.**

"I knew what was happening, but I didn't feel the need to point it out." Alberta said.

My mother looked at her in shock, "So you encouraged this mess?"

"No, but if it kept Rose there I didn't care," she stated matter-of-factly. Mom was about to comment but Abe cut in.

"Janine, let it go baby. It was only to help Rose." he said rubbing her hand.

**I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed.**

**"If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent…away."**

**I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"**

"Obviously," Mia said rolling her eyes. "You were gone for two years, what did you expect?"

I glared at her intensely.

"Keep making that face and it'll get stuck that way," Abe suggested merrily.

"Shut it old man!" I snarled at him.

"See there you go again, all I've seen you do since we started reading is frown." He retorted.

"Whatever you say old man," I said sighing.

**"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."**

"I'd have to agree with her on that statement," said my mother.

"Why are you even worried? You didn't care then, besides this is the past. I've already graduated." I yelled at her.

She flinched and I noticed she was on the verge of tears.

"I've got to use the ladies room," she said excusing herself and got up to leave. Abe stared at me disapprovingly.

"What?" I said angrily.

"You were out of line little girl, when you mother gets back I expect an apology out of you." He said sternly.

"Tough luck, I meant every word I said. You wouldn't want me to lie to her, now would you?" I said scornfully.

"Rose!" Lissa and Sonya screeched. I shook my head, and took a few deep breaths when my mother came back in and sat down next to Abe.

"Sorry mom," I mumbled as Dimitri studied me dubiously.

**I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know.**

"Both," he stated.

**Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting,** **I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.**

**"Fine. I accept."**

"She accepts!" Christian screamed, fist pumping the air and I laughed.

"Calm down Fireboy, we like this house standing not in ashes." I said playfully.

Christian laughed then got up and went to the kitchen to make lunch. Sonya and Lissa shared a look then Lissa looked at me.

_Rose, let's talk in another room._ She said to me through the bond.

_Fine,_ I replied.

"Sonya, mind if we have a chat in private?" I asked.

"Sure, Lissa why don't you join us?" she replied.

Lissa nodded and we headed off to another room. As soon as we were out of hearing range they bombarded me with questions.

"What was that with your mother?" Lissa asked with a hint of anger in her voice, "you know she cares about you." I snorted.

"Are you really asking me this question? It's obviously the darkness." I said sarcastically.

"Rose," Sonya said calmly. "Breathe, count to ten." I did as she said, and calmed down.

"Sorry, I thought the healing charm was working but it's not." I replied.

"Where is it?" Lissa said looking at my neck. I looked down and noticed the necklace was missing. I looked down my shirt and found it in my shirt and put it back on.

"It must have slid down when I was feeding Xavier," I replied.

"Thank God, the thought of you having too much darkness for a charm to heal is disastrous," she said.

"Look Rose, if you have any more problems let us know. We can help you; you're not taking on the darkness by yourself." Sonya said. I nodded, I can handle the darkness, I'm sure of it.

We walked back into the living room and chatted with the others until Christian called out that lunch was ready. While we ate I observed my mother, she'd been acting strange since we got here.

"Okay everyone, back to your seats. Time for me to read." I called out and we walked back to the living room and settled in our seats.

"Chapter Three," I began but suddenly there was a knock on the door. "What now?" I complained. Just then, the door slowly creaked open revealing...

* * *

A/N: Here is chapter two for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it (: Thank you to everyone who reviewed (RosenDimitriforever40333, twivampacademyfan, RiseAgainstItAll, ClauIloveDimitriBelikov, kb-jolly, georgia D. rose, LuPeters, NekkaLovesChocolate, and littlebadgirl2904).


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

Stan walked in. I gaped in horror. "What are you doing here?" I screeched. Just because I'd said I missed him didn't mean I wanted to see him again!

Stan scowled at me. "I don't know. I just received a message telling me to come here - ordered by Abe Mazur. So I came here," he grumbled.

I looked at my old man. "_Why _would you invite _him?_" I cried out.

Abe shrugged. "He was in the letter. Although he was supposed to be here earlier." Abe glared at Stan.

"I had to get time off," he protested, cowering slightly.

I sighed angrily. "Whatever. Just sit on the floor like a good doggy, and listen. Do _not _say a single word," I commanded him, and then smirked.

He glared at me, and just as he was about to say something, Eddie intercepted. "Sit down before things get worse," he advised.

Stan continued to glare, but sat down by the arm of Mom's love seat anyway. I sniggered, remembering what happened after we left Kirova's office. He is soo going to regret sitting there. Cue evil laugh.

Just before I started, Mia got up, heading towards the bathroom. However, she went down the path where Stan was sitting, causing her to 'trip,' and him to catch her. She ended up practically sitting in his lap.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Stan," she said in a sweet voice, batting her eyelashes. "I'm so clumsy sometimes." She giggled.

_Oh, this girl has no shame, _I thought with amusement as Stan's face went bright red.

"Ah...yeah. Um. Miss, could, uhh..." He stuttered out, trying to figure out a way to say, 'please get off me' politely.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mia stood up carefully, and then stepped over him. By now, mostly everyone in the room was laughing, or chuckling.

Mia went to the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Can I start now? Or do you have more disgusting displays of disturbedness to show us? "

Mia blushed slightly. "No, I'm good. Go on."

**SENDING US STRAIGHT TO CLASS after our meeting seemed beyond cruel, but that's exactly what Kirova did. **

Lissa and I nodded. "Ugh, I remember how absolutely dead tired I was by the end of the day, especially after the torture session - I mean practice session," I groaned.

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "It wasn't so bad."

I glared at him. "Yes, it was, since it was after I fed Lissa, after we got captured, after Kirova's and Stan's lectures, after -"

"Okay!" Dimitri cried out. "I get it. You're right, it was terrible," he conceded grudgingly.

I nodded satisfied.

**Lissa was led away, and I watched her go, glad the bond would allow me to keep reading her emotional temperature.**

"That makes you sound so creepy," Viktoria wrinkled her nose. "Like you were stalking her."

"No, that's Christian's expertise," I replied.

"Hey!" Christian exclaimed, offended.

"It makes Lissa sound like a science experiment," Eddie added.

Lissa frowned. "Gee, thanks Eddie. Way to make me feel loved," she said sarcastically.

I frowned. "You've been spending too much time with Sparky. Stop it."

Lissa shook her head. "No can do. I love spending time with my Christian." She snuggled up to him and pressed a kiss on his lips. I pretended to gag.

"I'm gonna continue reading before the young people in this room are scarred any more by your PDA." I said.

**They actually sent me to one of the guidance counselors first. He was an ancient Moroi guy, one I remembered from before I'd left. I honestly couldn't believe he was still around. The guy was so freaking old, he should have retired. Or died.**

"Rose!" Mom chastised. "You shouldn't - oh, why am I even bothering?" She asked herself, shaking her head.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Are you done?"

She gave me a reproachful look, but didn't say anything.

**The visit took all of five minutes. He said nothing about my return and asked a few questions about what classes I'd taken in Chicago and Portland. He compared those against my old file and hastily scrawled out a new schedule. I took it sullenly and headed out to my first class.**

**1st Period Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques**

**2nd Period Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3**

"I hated that class," I muttered.

**3rd Period Weight Training and Conditioning**

**4th Period Senior Language Arts (Novices)**

—**Lunch—**

**5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology**

"That was my favorite class," I said thoughtfully, getting glares at my continuous comments.

**6th Period Pre-calculus**

**7th Period Moroi Culture 4**

**8th Period Slavic Art**

"Most pointless class in the entire school - I'm almost glad Mr. Nagy died," I said.

"Rose!" It was Lissa this time. "Don't say things like that."

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied, standing up to give her a sweeping bow.

Lissa just rolled her eyes and waved me off.

**Ugh. I'd forgotten how long the Academy's school day was. Novices and Moroi took separate classes during the first half of the day, which meant I wouldn't see Lissa until after lunch—if we had any afternoon classes together. Most of them were standard senior classes, so I felt my odds were pretty good. Slavic art struck me as the kind of elective no one signed up for, so hopefully they'd stuck her in there too.**

Sydney looked at me. "Did you have any classes together? And Slavic art sounds interesting," she said.

I'd almost forgotten about her love of architecture. I smiled. "The class was totally boring; I learned nothing. And as for having classes with Liss...well, you'll have to see." I smiled teasingly at her.

**Dimitri and Alberta escorted me to the guardians' gym for first period, neither one acknowledging my existence.**

Alberta raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect us to do? Congratulate you on your two yearlong escape? Welcome you back? Most of the guardians were kind of mad at you for running away. Not because you took the Princess, but because...well, we pretty much raised you. We were all worried and hurt when you left," she said softly.

I felt tears prick at me eyes. "I'm sorry, Alberta. I was too worried about Lissa to even consider what everyone else thought. Sorry for worrying you," I replied sorrowfully.

Alberta simply nodded, and after giving myself a moment to put myself together, I continued.

**Walking behind them, I saw how Alberta wore her hair in a short, pixie cut that showed her promise mark and molnija marks. A lot of female guardians did this. It didn't matter so much for me now, since my neck had no tattoos yet, but I didn't want to ever cut my hair.**

Dimitri reached an arm towards me and picked up a strand of hair, twirling it around his finger. We looked at each other and smiled, both of us remembering that day in the gym. No words were needed to be said; I could tell he was glad I took his advice and didn't cut my hair.

**She and Dimitri didn't say anything and walked along almost like it was any other day.**

**When we arrived, the reactions of my peers indicated it was anything but. They were in the middle of setting up when we entered the gym, and just like in the commons, all eyes fell on me. I couldn't decide if I felt like a rock star or a circus freak.**

"Rock star," Vika said, just as Sparky said, "Circus freak."

"Thank you, Vika," I said as I glared at Sparky. "If anyone who's the circus freak here, it's you, Sir Sparks-a-lot. Didn't you hear the news? Cirque du Freak was offering a reward for the return of the flaming oddball. I think I might call in and let them know we have him captive." I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think I will do that." I reached into my pocket for my phone.

"Rose!" Lissa laughed. "Leave Chris alone."

I rolled my eyes, but put my phone back in my pocket and picked up the book again.

**All right, then. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I wasn't going to act afraid of them all anymore. Lissa and I had once held this school's respect, and it was time to remind everyone of that. **

Eddie snorted. "It was never forgotten, trust me. If anything, it was doubled and totally exaggerated once you left."

**Scanning the staring, open mouthed novices, I looked for a familiar face. Most of them were guys. One caught my eye, and I could barely hold back my grin.**

I felt a sad smile fall onto my lips as I remembered.

**"Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."**

Viktoria frowned. "Who is Mason?" She asked, confused.

"A friend of mine," I murmured wincing slightly at the sound of his name.

Her frown deepened. "Where is he?" She asked.

I shook my head. That was one can of worms I really didn't want to open just yet.

**A few snorts and snickers broke the awed silence, and Mason Ashford snapped out of his haze, giving me a lopsided smile. With red hair that stuck up everywhere and a smattering of freckles, he was nice-looking, though not exactly hot. He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. We'd been good friends back in the day.**

"'Back in the day'? How old exactly were you, Rose?" Mom exclaimed.

"It's just a saying," I said irritated.

**"This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."**

**"Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."**

**"It's always a good a time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further. Eddie Castile. Another friend of mine.**

Eddie wrinkled his nose. "It sounds so weird now. I mean, you're like my sister. Just, ugh!"

I laughed at his disgust. "You're the one who said it, not me," I reminded him.

Dimitri suddenly leaned towards me. "At least he's got one thing right," he whispered huskily into my ear. "It _is _always a good time to think about you naked." I felt shivers go down my spine at the feel of his breath on my neck. My mind began to fill up with not so good thoughts. God, it had been a long time since we had sex. And now all I could think about was the way his lips felt, all over my body, and how smooth and warm his bare skin felt under my fingertips, and how -

"Rose!" I jumped at the sound of my name, and looked around, startled, only to see everyone one looking at me with amusement. Well, everyone except Dimitri, who was smiling smugly. I smacked his arm as my face turned red. I looked down at the book.

**Dimitri shook his head and walked off, muttering something in Russian that didn't sound complimentary. **

I looked at Dimitri curiously. "What did you say?" I asked.

He blushed. "Well, um, ah, I uh..." he stuttered out, rubbing his neck with embarrassment.

I raised my eyebrows. "Tell me..." I said sternly.

He sighed. "I said...'I'll give you something naked to look at - what's between your legs, because I'll cut off your dick if you don't stop staring,'" he mumbled.

I stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Seriously? Oh, that's awesome! You should've told Mason that!"

**But as for me…well, just like that, I was one of the novices again. They were an easy going bunch, less focused on pedigree and politics than the Moroi students.**

Jill sighed. "You guys are so lucky. It's so hard being Royal. I kinda wish I wasn't." She frowned.

I looked at her sadly. "Sorry, but it was necessary. You understand, right? It's like a guardian giving up everything, including their life, for the Moroi." I gave her a small smile.

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess being a Royal is better than that," she mused.

**The class engulfed me, and I found myself laughing and seeing those I'd nearly forgotten about. Everyone wanted to know where we'd been; apparently Lissa and I had become legends. I couldn't tell them why we'd left, of course, so I offered up a lot of taunts and wouldn't-you-like-to-knows that served just as well.**

Eddie shook his head with amazement. "You were so good at that," he muttered

**The happy reunion lasted a few more minutes before the adult guardian who oversaw the training came over and scolded Mason for neglecting his duties. Still grinning, he barked out orders to everyone, explaining what exercises to start with. Uneasily I realized I didn't know most of them.**

Mom snorted. "And you would have known them had you not left," she said disapprovingly.

I scowled. "Are you guys ever going to let me live it down? I mean, it was for a good reason, and look how much positive came out of it!"

There was a pause as everyone seemed to think it over. Then, in unison, Eddie, Christian, and, surprisingly, Alberta, said, "Nope."

My scowl deepened. "Don't worry Roza. I won't let you live it down simply because had you not ran away, we wouldn't have met. Or maybe we would have, sometime farther down the road, but at least this way it was assured that we would fall in love," Dimitri said with a smile. I found myself unable to hide my own smile.

"Aaww, thanks, Comrade!" I leaned over the couch to give him a big hug.

"What!" Stan cried out. I jumped slightly; I'd forgotten he was in the room. "What do you mean, 'assured' that we would fall in love'? Do you mean that you two were together when you were at the Academy?"

I looked at him like he was stupid. "Well, duh! I kinda assumed that everyone knew by now." I replied.

Stan looked outraged. He turned to Alberta. "Did you know of this? Why didn't anyone do anything?" He snapped.

Alberta raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, I knew. Half the guardians knew, especially just before the attack. After their fight, at least. Oh, you weren't there," she realized. "Well, the guardians that were there...apparently they were afraid the two of them would rip each other's clothing off." Alberta chuckled, while I blushed. Were we really that obvious? "And really, it doesn't take two hours to clean and calm down a person, not even Rose." She looked at me knowingly. I knew my cheeks were flaming by now.

Stan looked even angrier. "And you didn't do anything about it?" He screamed.

Alberta shrugged her face neutral. "I saw no need to stop it. They weren't distracting each other from their duties, and they brought out the best of each other; Rose became more controlled and focused, and Dimitri actually became happier and started interacting with people," she said reasonably.

I was surprised. She was right. We did bring out the best in each other.

"And besides," Mikhail added. He'd been quiet for a while now. "You can't do anything about it now, and what happened in the past should stay in the past."

Everyone nodded, agreeing. I decided that was my cue to continue reading.

**"Come on, Hathaway," he said, taking my arm. "You can be my partner. Let's see what you've been doing all this time."**

**An hour later, he had his answer.**

**"Not practicing, huh?"**

**"Ow," I groaned, momentarily incapable of normal speech.**

Christian looked like Christmas had come early. "Seriously? No way! I would've paid to see that!" He exclaimed, sounding oddly like a girl. I decided to point that out.

"You know, Pyro, are you sure you're not a girl? Cause you really sound like one. Oh, and, interrupt me one more time, and I will personally _make sure _you are a girl, cause I'll cut your dick off!" I threatened.

**He extended a hand and helped me up from the mat he'd knocked me down on—about fifty times.**

**"I hate you," I told him, rubbing a spot on my thigh that was going to have a wicked bruise tomorrow.**

I winced. "I didn't mean it," I whimpered. "I really didn't."

Dimitri put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We know, Rose, we know," he said gently. I took a couple deep breaths before I could continue.

**"You'd hate me more if I held back."**

**"Yeah, that's true," I agreed, staggering along as the class put the equipment back.**

**"You actually did okay."**

**"What? I just had my ass handed to me."**

**"Well, of course you did. It's been two years. But hey, you're still walking. That's something." He grinned mockingly.**

**"Did I mention I hate you?"**

**He flashed me another smile, which quickly faded to something more serious. "Don't take this the wrong way…I mean, you really are a scrapper, but there's no way you'll be able to take your trials in the spring—"**

**"They're making me take extra practice sessions," I explained. Not that it mattered. I planned on getting Lissa and me out of here before these practices really became an issue. "I'll be ready."**

**"Extra sessions with who?"**

**"That tall guy. Dimitri."**

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. _Damn him! _Did he really have to throw that in my face?

"'That tall guy'?" He asked. "Really?"

I shrugged, irritated by my inability to raise one eyebrow. "You're tall. So what?"

He just shook his head, not answering.

**Mason stopped walking and stared at me. "You're putting in extra time with Belikov?"**

**"Yeah, so what?"**

**"So the man is a god."**

Dimitri grinned. "Is that where the God comment came from?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yup, you can thank Mason for my high opinion of you," I joked.

**"Exaggerate much?" I asked.**

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Should I be offended? What happened to that high opinion you were talking about?" He asked, pretending to be hurt.

I chuckled. "Keep listening to Mason speak, and you'll get your ego boost," I teased.

**"No, I'm serious. I mean, he's all quiet and antisocial usually, but when he fights…wow. If you think you're hurting now, you're going to be dead when he's done with you."**

**Great. Something else to improve my day.**

**I elbowed him and went on to second period. That class covered the essentials of being a bodyguard and was required for all seniors. Actually, it was the third in a series that had started junior year. That meant I was behind in this class too, but I hoped protecting Lissa in the real world had given me some insight.**

I shook my head. "Sadly, it didn't."

Stan snorted. "It's a miracle she's not dead with the amount of attention you pay to her. Instead, it appears as though you were out whoring around and getting pregnant instead of paying attention to your Moroi like you should have been." He sniffed disdainfully.

I glared at him. "For your information, I am the best damn guardian. I am the most dedicated. I have given my life to her numerous times. And I was not 'whoring around' like you so easily insinuate. My child is a product of a loving and long relationship with Dimitri. Not some random one night stand." The only thing keeping me from lunging at him was Dimitri's hand on my shoulder, and my son in front of me.

Stan opened his mouth to say something else, but I simply started reading again, not wanting to hear what he wanted to say.

**Our instructor was Stan Alto, whom we referred to simply as "Stan" behind his back and "Guardian Alto" in formal settings. He was a little older than Dimitri, but not nearly as tall, and he always looked pissed off. Today, that look intensified when he walked into the classroom and saw me sitting there. His eyes widened in mock surprise as he circled the room and came to stand beside my desk.**

Mom's eyes narrowed and she looked down at Stan. "You better not do what I think you're going to," she growled.

Stan paled, probably realizing his life was at stake.

**"What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very generous of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us."**

**I felt my cheeks burning, but in a great show of self-control, I stopped myself from telling him to fuck off. I'm pretty sure my face must have delivered that message, however, because his sneer increased. **

Stan glared at me. "Yes, your face delivered the message very well, you insolent little girl!" He sneered.

I stood up. "Who the hell are you to call me an insolent little girl?" I screeched, but before I could continue, Xavier started fussing. I immediately picked him up. "What's wrong, my Xavi boy?" I murmured, rocking him gently. "You don't like it when Mommy yells, do you? I'm sorry."

I settled back on the couch, looking at my beautiful baby boy, who looked exactly like his father.

I could feel eyes on me, and when I glanced up, I looked straight into Dimitri's eyes.

"Can I...?" He asked hesitantly, holding out his arms. I nodded, carefully passing Xavier over to his daddy's arms. When Xavier was settled in his arms, Dimitri looked down at him, a loving smile on his lips. I watched the beautiful scene for a moment, until someone nudged me. I looked over to see Lissa silently holding a camera. I gave her a smile of thanks, before turning to camera toward my son and his dad, snapping a picture after making sure the flash was off. I didn't want Dimitri to realize that I had taken a picture. Seeing them like that warmed my heart and gave me hope that someday soon we would get to be a real family. After watching them for a few more minutes, I started reading again.

**He gestured for me to stand up.**

**"Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."**

**I sank into my seat. "You don't really mean—"**

**The taunting smile dried up. "I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class."**

Mom glared at Stan. "That was hardly necessary," she snapped.

**A thick silence enveloped the room. Stan was a scary instructor, and most of the class was too awed to laugh at my disgrace quite yet. Refusing to crack, I strode up to the front of the room and turned to face the class. I gave them a bold look and tossed my hair over my shoulders, earning a few sympathetic smiles from my friends. **

Mikhail frowned. "But you had a fresh bite on your neck," he recalled. "Didn't anyone notice?"

"Huh. I guess not," I replied, shrugging.

Eddie shook his head. "No, we didn't notice because we were too eager to see what was going to happen."

**I then noticed I had a larger audience than expected. A few guardians—including Dimitri—**

"I love how you always notice him," Mia said, smiling. "It's like, he's the only person you focus on in a room filled with people."

I shrugged. "It's like my eyes naturally gravitate towards him," I said somewhat dreamily.

"Oooh, 'gravitate.' Such a big word from such a small brain," Christian teased.

"Her lips are certainly big enough," Adrian muttered. "Both sets."

Dimitri carefully handed Xavier to me, then got up and towered over Adrian. "If you ever imply that my Rose is a whore again, I will hunt you down and slowly peel away your tongue from your mouth so you can never insult her, ever again. Then I will cut of your tiny quarter inch killer and feed it to you. Your disgusting mouth has no right in saying a single phrase about her. If I catch you so much as looking at her, I will gouge your eyes out, understand?" Dimitri said all this in a deadly calm voice, which seemed to make it worse. Even I shivered in fear. Adrian looked like he was about to piss his pants, but tried to play it cool by simply taking a swig of Jack.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he muttered.

I saw Dimitri's back tense, and knew he was about to go caveman on Adrian, so I called him back. "Comrade, leave it. He's not worth it," I advised. After staring at Adrian for a long moment, Dimitri went back to his seat.

Viktoria gave a low whistle. "Talk about shit just got real," she muttered.

"Vika, don't swear," Dimitri chastised.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "And you're allowed to?" She protested.

"When I'm defending my love's honor, yes, yes I am allowed to swear," he said defiantly.

I grinned, and gave Xavier to Vika before I leaned over the couch and gave Dimitri a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "My hero!" I said dramatically.

He gave me his full smile, lighting up my world...until Xavier decided to pull on my hair, ruining the moment.

Vika laughed. "Go Xavi!" She cheered. "Learning to ruin your mommy and daddy's moments from an early age." She laughed.

I scowled, but sat back in my seat. I took Xavier from Viktoria and looked at him sternly.

"Don't pull Mommy's hair," I said. He just gave me his gummy smile and giggled. I felt myself melting into a pile of goo. "Here, go pull on Daddy's hair," I said, handing Xavier to Dimitri. It seemed as if Xavier understood what I said because the minute he was in range, he grabbed onto Dimitri's hair, and _yanked._ Everybody started laughing at the look of surprise and pain on Dimitri's face. He scowled, but one look at Xavier's happy face made that scowl disappear faster than ice cream on the hottest summer day in Death Valley.

After everyone finally calmed down, I began reading again.

**A few guardians—including Dimitri—lingered in the back of the room. Outside the Academy, guardians focused on one-on-one protection. Here, guardians had a lot more people to protect and they had to train the novices. So rather than follow any one person around, they worked shifts guarding the school as a whole and monitoring classes.**

**"So, Hathaway," said Stan cheerfully, strolling back up to the front with me. "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."**

**"My…techniques?"**

**"Of course. Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats."**

**It was the Kirova lecture all over again, except with more witnesses.**

**"We never ran into any Strigoi," I replied stiffly.**

**"Obviously," he said with a snicker. "I already figured that out, seeing as how you're still alive."**

**I wanted to shout that maybe I could have defeated a Strigoi, but after getting beat up in the last class, I now suspected I couldn't have survived an attack by Mason, let alone an actual Strigoi.**

I winced, remembering how bad it was back then. "At least you learned and became way better," Eddie said, reading my mind.

I nodded.

**When I didn't say anything, Stan started pacing in front of the class.**

**"So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?"**

**"Sometimes." That was true—especially when we'd first run away. We'd relaxed a little after months went by with no attacks.**

Mom shook her head disapprovingly. She was doing that a lot today. "You should never let your guard down," she said sternly.

I felt a shiver go down my back, remembering when Dimitri, _Strigoi _Dimitri said the same thing. The words hit a little too close to home.

**"Sometimes," he repeated in a high-pitched voice, making my answer sound incredibly stupid. "Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night."**

**"Er…no."**

**"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh wait, you wouldn't know that because you weren't here."**

Mom frowned. "That's going a bit far now."

I snickered. Just wait till it goes farther.

**I swallowed back more swear words. "I watched the area whenever we went out," I said, needing to defend myself.**

**"Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?"**

**I didn't say anything.**

**"Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To Method."**

"Excuse me?" My mom screeched. I looked at her, wide-eyed. "My method is a hell of a lot better than yours, _Stan. _And I haven't had _any _incidents. So before you go insulting anyone, make sure you're correct first." With the way she was glaring at Stan, I was surprised he wasn't a pile of ash on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "I was referring to Rose, not you, Janine."

"That's Guardian Hathaway to you," she replied coldly.

"Wow," I whispered as Stan cowered away from Mom.

**"No!" I exclaimed angrily. "That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive, isn't she?"**

**He walked back up to me and leaned toward my face. "Because you got lucky."**

**"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there," I shot back. "It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound."**

**"Safer? Safer? We are at war with the Strigoi!" he yelled. **

"Well, not trying to get technical," I started. "But to have a war, both sides have to attack. Moroi aren't attacking, or even helping fight. They just sit back and wait for the Strigoi to get them, meaning guardians aren't fighting either. So that means you made a false statement. Which makes you look stupid. Of course, I've long said what you see is what you get and you just proved me right," I finished smugly.

Stan's face went from normal, passed red and straight to purple. He also appeared to be gasping and making weird noises, as if a fish were trying to talk. I looked at him with exaggerated concern.

"Are you alright, Stan? You look a little...aah, pale? Carefully, you might pop a blood vessel with that face." He now looked like he was constipated. His eyes bulged.

"Calm down, you asshat. That is no way to attract a froggy girl, so quit making the frog face. It's disturbing." I felt really spiteful, for some reason. Must be the years of resentment, and this moment, finally coming out. It felt good.

**I could smell coffee on his breath, he was so close. "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him—and he'd barely break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed**

I paused, looking at Stan. "Aaawww, you think my neck is pretty. Ever say anything like that or get so close and _I'll _be the one snapping your neck." Almost as soon as I said it, I regretted it. All I could see was Mason's neck getting snapped, over, and over again. I shuddered, forcing the images out of my mind. Dimitri grabbed and squeezed my hand in comfort.

**and strength than a Moroi or a human, but you are nothing, nothing, compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"**

**No way was I going to let this jerk make me cry.**

Abe glared at Stan. "You. Almost. Made. My. Daughter. _CRY?_" He screamed the last word.

Stan cringed. "Umm..."

"Out! Get out _before _I kill you! I don't care if you're supposed to be here. _GET OUT!" _He roared.

Stan scrambled up clumsily, and scampered out the door. I laughed. "Go old man!" I cheered.

**Looking away from him, I tried to focus on something else. My eyes rested on Dimitri and the other guardians. They were watching my humiliation, stone-faced.**

**"Moroi blood," I whispered.**

**"What was that?" asked Stan loudly. "I didn't catch it."**

**I spun back around to face him. "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger."**

**He nodded in satisfaction and took a few steps back. "Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough—even with guardians— to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear…"**

**"…so do the dhampirs," I finished.**

**"Well," he said, licking sprayed spit off his lips. "It looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."**

I grinned triumphantly. "And I did! Even after dropping out of the Academy!" I said proudly.

"Wait, wait, wait! You dropped out of the Academy? When?" Viktoria exclaimed.

I gave her a 'duh' look. "When I was hunting Dimitri, you know... I was staying at your house too." I said slowly.

She frowned. "You dropped out of school for that? Wow. You really do love him," she said with wonder.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you think?" I asked sarcastically.

**Ouch. I spent the rest of that horrible class—in my seat, thankfully—replaying those last words in my mind. The senior-year field experience was the best part of a novice's education. We'd have no classes for half a semester. Instead, we'd each be assigned a Moroi student to guard and follow around. The adult guardians would monitor us and test us with staged attacks and other threats. How a novice passed that field experience was almost as important as all the rest of her grades combined. It could influence which Moroi she got assigned to after graduation.**

"Really?" Sydney asked.

I nodded in affirmative.

"That's kind of cool." She admitted.

**And me? There was only one Moroi I wanted.**

Mia grinned. "Aww, thanks Rose! I love you too." She grinned.

I snorted. "Mia, at that time I didn't even know you, and when I did, I hated your guts - and later broke your nose, if you remember." I grinned right back her.

She grumbled something under her breath about alien abductions, but I didn't pay her any attention as I continued.

**Two classes later, I finally earned my lunch escape. As I stumbled across campus toward the commons, Dimitri fell into step beside me, not looking particularly godlike—unless you counted his godly good looks.**

I blushed. God, it was soo embarrassing hearing all my thoughts out loud.

"Don't be embarrassed," Dimitri murmured into my ear. "If it helps, I always thought you looked like a goddess - and I still do think that."

**"I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" I asked, not bothering with titles.**

Alberta sighed. "When do you bother with titles?" She asked absentmindedly.

"Never," I said simply.

**"Yes."**

**"And you don't think that was unfair?"**

**"Was he right? Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?"**

"I love how you avoided answering the question, Comrade," I said, turning to him. I smiled when I saw Xavier asleep in his arms. I carefully took him and put him in his playpen.

"Well, I didn't agree with Stan, but I needed you to realize the seriousness of the situation." Dimitri replied.

I sighed wearily. "I understood the seriousness of the situation. I just didn't really want to face it." I said, as a wave of fatigue suddenly crashed over me.

**I looked down at the ground. "I kept her alive," I mumbled.**

**"How did you do fighting against your classmates today?"**

**The question was mean. I didn't answer and knew I didn't need to. I'd had another training class after Stan's, and no doubt Dimitri had watched me get beat up there too.**

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri nodding quietly.

**"If you can't fight them—"**

**"Yeah, yeah, I know," I snapped.**

**He slowed his long stride to match my pain-filled one. "You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?"**

**"Sure," I shrugged. "Now and then."**

**"You didn't join any teams?"**

**"Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."**

Alberta shook her head with disapproval.

"I don't see how in the world you graduated at the top of your class," Mom said with disbelief. "If I hadn't been there to watch your trials, I would dare say Abe rigged the tests and paid off the administration to give you a high grade."

I snorted. "Gee, thanks Mom for having such faith in me," I said snarkily.

**He gave me an exasperated look. "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."**

**"I'll be able to protect her," I said fiercely.**

**"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know—for your field experience or after you graduate." Dimitri's voice was low and unapologetic. They hadn't given me a warm and fuzzy mentor. "No one wants to waste the bond— but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate—if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will."**

**"Lissa, call her Lissa," I corrected. She hated her full name, much preferring the Americanized nickname.**

"Is that all you got out of the whole speech?" Dimitri asked, exasperated.

I shook my head. "No, I understood it perfectly, I just had to correct you," I replied nonchalantly.

**He walked away, and suddenly, I didn't feel like such a badass anymore.**

Christian sniggered. "That's because you were never one to begin with," he said.

"You know, that joke is getting really old," I drawled out.

"You just don't want to face the truth that you're not as amazing as you make yourself out to be," Christian shot back.

I snorted. "Christina, I'm ten times more amazing than you are. You're just too much of a pussy to admit it. Sparkling in the sunlight doesn't make you cool, it just makes you gay," I said with finality, then began reading as if nothing happened.

**By now, I'd burned up a lot of time leaving class. Most everyone else had long since sprinted inside the commons for lunch, eager to maximize their social time. I'd almost made it back there myself when a voice under the door's overhang called to me.**

**"Rose?"**

**Peering in the voice's direction, I caught sight of Victor Dashkov, his kind face smiling at me as he leaned on a cane near the building's wall. His two guardians stood nearby at a polite distance.**

**"Mr. Dash—er, Your Highness. Hi."**

I growled out his name. "Thank God he's not Royalty anymore," Lissa muttered. "If only we knew where he was so he could be put back in prison..." She trailed off, muttering to herself.

I felt a tiny bit of guilt when I realized that Lissa didn't know that he was dead, but I didn't say anything, continuing instead.

**I caught myself just in time, having nearly forgotten Moroi royal terms. I hadn't used them while living among humans. The Moroi chose their rulers from among twelve royal families.**

**The eldest in the family got the title of "prince" or "princess." Lissa had gotten hers because she was the only one left in her line.**

"Not anymore," Lissa said, sending Jill a smile.

**"How was your first day?" he asked.**

**"Not over yet." I tried to think of something conversational. "Are you visiting here for a while?"**

**"I'll be leaving this afternoon after I say hello to Natalie. When I heard Vasilisa—and you—had returned, I simply had to come see you."**

**I nodded, not sure what else to say. He was more Lissa's friend than mine.**

"He wasn't my friend. Friends don't use each other. Friends don't torture each other," Lissa mumbled.

Christian put a comforting arm around her. "He's not here, Liss," he murmured. "It's the past; don't think about it." He continued to murmur soothingly to her as I read.

**"I wanted to tell you…" He spoke hesitantly. "I understand the gravity of what you did, but I think Headmistress Kirova failed to acknowledge something. You did keep Vasilisa safe all this time. That is impressive."**

**"Well, it's not like I faced down Strigoi or anything," I said.**

**"But you faced down some things?"**

**"Sure. The school sent psi-hounds once."**

**"Remarkable."**

**"Not really. Avoiding them was pretty easy."**

**He laughed. "I've hunted with them before. They aren't that easy to evade, not with their powers and intelligence." **

I facepalmed. "It was right there! He just basically _told _me that he sent them! I was just too stupid to see it!" I groaned.

Lissa reached over and patted my knee comfortingly. "It's okay, you couldn't have known. He fooled all of us."

**It was true. Psi-hounds were one of many types of magical creatures that wandered the world, creatures that humans never knew about or else didn't believe they'd really seen. The hounds traveled in packs and shared a sort of psychic communication that made them particularly deadly to their prey—as did the fact that they resembled mutant wolves. "Did you face anything else?"**

**I shrugged. "Little things here and there."**

**"Remarkable," he repeated.**

**"Lucky, I think. It turns out I'm really behind in all this guardian stuff." I sounded just like Stan now.**

**"You're a smart girl. You'll catch up. And you also have your bond."**

**I looked away. My ability to "feel" Lissa had been such a secret for so long; it felt weird to have others know about it.**

I groaned. "Can we skip this part? It's just him asking questions about the bond, and me being an idiot by answering them. You know what, I will skip it. It's stuff everyone knows, anyway."

I skimmed over the text until I reached the end of our conversation.

**A sinking sensation filled my stomach as I imagined him wracked with guilt and worry over our disappearance. Until now, I hadn't really thought about how others might have felt about us leaving.**

Mom snorted. "Of course not," she muttered.

"Janine, be fair," Mikhail said. "She was trying to protect her best friend and charge. Others' feelings weren't her top priority."

Mom huffed, but stayed silent.

**We made our goodbyes, and I finally arrived inside the school. As I did, I felt Lissa's anxiety spike. Ignoring the pain in my legs, I picked up my pace into the commons.**

**And nearly ran right into her.**

"Wow, some guardian you are," Christian said sarcastically. "You don't even see your charge on front of you, let alone a Strigoi!"

I scowled. "So sorry I was slightly distracted that one time. I'm a GREAT guardian." I protested.

Christian sniggered. "I'm just kidding Rose. Jeez. I know you're a great guardian, I was there, remember?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I huffed at him throwing that ability in my face, but began reading without acknowledging him.

**She didn't see me, though. Neither did the people standing with her: Aaron and that little doll girl. **

Mia frowned. "I don't look like a doll!" She cried out.

"But dolls are pretty," Eddie said thoughtfully.

Mia smiled at him flirtatiously. "Well, in that case, you would make a _great _doll," she giggled.

"Dolls are just weird and creeptastic," I butted in. "You ever see how they stare at you? Soooo weird!"

Mia glared at me, but I started reading before she could say anything.

**I stopped and listened, just catching the end of the conversation. The girl leaned toward Lissa, who seemed more stunned than anything else.**

**"It looks to me like it came from a garage sale. I thought a precious Dragomir would have standards." Scorn dripped off the word Dragomir.**

Mia winced. "I apologize in advance for all the things I do and say!" She cried out.

Lissa and I waved off her apology. "Everything is long ago forgiven."

**Grabbing Doll Girl by the shoulder, I jerked her away. She was so light, she stumbled three feet and nearly fell.**

**"She does have standards," I said, "which is why you're done talking to her."**

I threw the book at Pyro's face. "Read or you'll never have children," I threatened.

He paled slightly, and looked down at the book. "Chapter 4..."

* * *

A/N: A lot of people have been commenting on Rose's attitude and the darkness. Darkness plays a lot in Rose's attitude this book. Don't forget that she has more people to help her control it. But it's been a year and a half since the end of last sacrifice. Shortly after she got pregnant, Dimitri left and of course the bond had reformed but for her not to harm the baby she would have needed major healing charms. Just think of how much darkness could have built up for her in about 18 months and how much power Lissa could be using. And Rose drawing it in, it just sits there like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. You know what she did to Jesse... it's kinda like that... her outbursts can only gradually worsen. It took longer in the book because she didn't use her powers after the bond formed for almost 2 and a half years but she's using it now. So, that was chapter three for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it xD! Thank you to everyone who reviewed: sunayna4sho, RiseAgainstItAll, 101998, RosenDimitriforever40333, twivampacademyfan, georgia D. rose, NekkaLovesChocolate, and Anonymous reviewer, Comrade. And Comrade...all we're saying is, you're really good at guessing (;


	5. Chapter 4: Part 1

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

* * *

**WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ENTIRE commons' attention this time, thank God, but a few passing people had stopped to stare.**

**"What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury. Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height, which was partly what made her look so young. The tiny purple dress she wore was gorgeous**

"Thank you for noticing," said Mia grinning.

—**reminding me that I was indeed dressed in thrift-shop wear—but closer inspection led me to think it was a designer knockoff.**

Mia glared at me. "Bitch."

**I crossed my arms across my chest. "Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west campus."**

"I did not look that young!" She shouted.

**A pink flush spread over her cheeks. "Don't you ever touch me again. You screw with me, and I'll screw you right back."**

"Too bad you didn't have a dick, she probably would have sucked it," Adrian slurred sullenly. "Although, knowing her, it probably doesn't even matter. Dick or no dick, she'll suck, fuck, and do you in every way. Typical bloodwhore behavior to get her fix any way she can."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"How dare you!" I shouted jumping up and attacking Adrian with my fist repeatedly.

"NO!" shouted Sonya and Lissa. "Get her off of him!"

Next thing I know my father, Dimitri, Eddie, Christian, and Mikhail are dragging me out of the room. Through the bond I could feel Lissa healing Adrian. How dare she heal him after what he said about me. He deserved everything he got and she's just going to heal him? _NOT_ happening, I snatched off my necklace throwing it across the room and absorbed all the darkness from Lissa I could take.

My mind snapped and my vision blurred red. All I could think of was how much I wanted Adrian dead. I shook the guys off, barely aware of what was going on. I had one goal only, get to Adrian and kill him. As soon as I ran into the room, I knocked Lissa off him and attacked him again.

"You bastard!" I shouted, "I'm going to kill you slowly. When I'm done with you they won't even be able to recognize you and I'll enjoy every moment of it." I continued to hit him in various places of his body, breaking several of his ribs.

"Fight back!" I yelled at him, "Come on! Don't be like Victor! Die with pride. That bastard didn't even fight back when I killed him!" I said laughing maniacally as everyone around me gasped, no one would come near me but I could faintly hear the screaming for me to stop before I killed him. Didn't they know that's what I wanted to do? Suddenly I felt arms around mine pulling me back and someone murmuring Russian in my ear. Dimitri, I thought.

"Dimitri, get away from me. I don't want to hurt you like I'm going to hurt him. Get away if you know what's good for you." I said harshly. He wouldn't let me go as I struggled against his grip. Sonya stepped in front of me with Mikhail in front of her crouched ready for battle if I attacked her. She gently touched his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He looked to her and back to me and asked her if she was sure. When she nodded he slowly rose from his crouched position and walked back to protect the others.

"Rose," Sonya said pleading with me. "You have to fight this, you have to release the darkness. Let it go."

I chuckled, "You can't save me this time Sonya. Perhaps you did last time, but last time was last time and this time is this time. Late, late, you're too late. Save who, me? Me, get saved by you? It's too late for me. No on can save me. Why would I want to be saved? Save for you, save for me, save for everybody. Let it go she says, ha ha. You let it go, go out of your head. Save Lissa. Save Dimitri. Save Mia, Eddie, and Christian. Whose gonna save me? Nobody wants to save me. Hell, I don't wanna save me..." Everyone continued to look at me like I was insane as I rambled on. Even Lissa cowered in fear and she'd been the one to tell me she'd help me through this, but look at her now crying in the corner looking at me like I was some kind of rabid animal.

"Rose," another voice spoke up. I looked towards the owner of the voice to see who would be stupid enough to interrupt us. Jill stood unphased by my actions. Her voice was strong and unwavering when she said her next words.

"Stop it now!" She demanded stepping forward as Eddie grabbed her and pulled her towards him.

"Keep her away," Sonya told him but Jill ignored them and wiggled out of his grip and ran towards me. Dimitri dragged me back away from her but she just kept coming closer. Could this girl get any dumber? I broke one arm free and swung at her but she dodged and grabbed my arm. Sonya looked at her, obviously scared for her life but Jill stood there.

"It's alright," Jill told them. "She won't hurt me."

"What makes you so sure of that?" I said, kicking her legs from under her. She fell flat on her ass, but got up and came back to me.

"Rose, stop. It's over. Let it go. If not for you then for you son. Do it for Xavier. Try and remember how you felt after you killed Victor. Try, please try. You have to," she begged.

At the mention of Xavier's name my mind stopped. What the hell was going on? I looked at Jill and Sonya then looked at everyone else in the corner of the room looking at me in fear. Dimitri still had a tight grip on me so I relaxed in his arms. He slowly loosened his grip, probably expecting me to attack someone again but I didn't. Instead I broke down crying and ran to Jill's arms.

"It's okay Rose, you're gonna be okay." Jill said comforting me. Nobody moved but Sonya and Dimitri as they came to us. I looked to Adrian to see that he was badly hurt.

"Sonya," I said sniffling. "Do you think you can help him?" She looked me in the eyes and nodded then walked over to Adrian and healed him.

"Rose, " she called from next to Adrian. "What happened to the necklace?"

I thought back for a moment. "I snatched it off in the room while Lissa was healing Adrian," I replied. She then looked to Dimitri and told him to go find it. When he returned I put the necklace back on and immediately felt better. I stood up with Jill, her arms were still wrapped around me as everyone looked at her in awe.

"What the fuck was that Rosemarie?" my father spat out.

"That," Sonya answered, "was the darkness taking over."

"But the bond was broken," Alberta said.

"No," Lissa replied. "It returned a few months after the incident." None of us liked to talk openly about what happened.

"How come you didn't tell us?" Christian growled.

I shrugged, "It didn't matter."

"Yeah, because almost killing Adrian and admitting to murdering Victor Dashkov doesn't matter!" Eddie snapped. "What pisses me off is that you three seemed to have known about it!" he half shouted pointing to Sonya, Jill, and Dimitri.

"Of course I knew about it!" Jill shrieked. "She did it to save my life. Victor had kidnapped me when the guards came to my house. Her, Sonya, and Dimitri came to save me. She didn't ask for the darkness to consumer her then and I'm sure she didn't mean for it to consume her now."

I paled, she was right about the first time. But what just happened now was wrong. I openly accepted the darkness and let it consume me. Of course I was already beyond angry and thinking irrationally one thing was clear to me. I wanted this to happen, I wanted to hurt Adrian. Granted I didn't want him _dead_, but I did want him to suffer.

"Jill, I did let the darkness consume me this time." I admitted. "I mean I didn't want to kill him, but I did want to make him pay for...well, saying all of that to me."

She shook her head, "Rose stop. You were already angry, you weren't thinking rationally so it doesn't count." Then she looked to Lissa. " And you! How dare you turn your back on your best friend. I don't care how scared you were when she pushed you, you should have been there for her. _YOU_ promised her you would help her through this. She's sitting here taking _your_ darkness, risking her _family_ so _you_ can get your happily ever after. She's always done everything for you, except for when she went to Russia to hunt down the love of her life. Sad thing is I can tell you still haven't forgiven her and the only reason you saved him is probably because you figured it would keep her by your side. You're selfish! You should have been the one to calm her down not me!" Everyone stood there in silence as Jill, Sonya, and Dimitri walked me out of the room.

"Don't worry," Sonya said rubbing my back as Sydney walked in the room with Xavier.

"Can I hold him?" I asked softly as she and Dimitri shared a look. He nodded as she handed my son to me.

"So, how are they taking this?" Dimitri asked her.

"Well," she said. "Lissa is furious at Jill, but they all sat back down and Adrian is conscious again. They poured out all the alcohol though so he's pretty mad. He doesn't even remember what happened." We all chuckled at the last part, leave it to Adrian to get beat damn near to death and be too drunk to remember it.

"I say we go back in there and pretend this never happened for Adrian's sake. He hates me enough as it is, I don't need him to hate me even more for attempting to kill him." I responded.

"Alright, I'll explain to them the Victor incident and how you weren't yourself then and you weren't yourself just now. Give me a moment," Sonya said. I rolled my eyes, she just wants to avoid further drama.

"Whatever, as long as they understand." I said. She smiled and walked into the other room. When she returned Lissa was with her.

"Rose I'm so, so sorry. Jill you were right I should have been there. Instead I ran in fear when she's risked everything for me. I'm pretty sure when we're done with the books I'll even know what extents she would go through to keep me safe. I hope you both forgive me." Lissa said. Me and Jill looked at one another then nodded and enveloped Lissa in a hug.

"Alright, let's get out there." Dimitri demanded. As we walked into the room and took our seats.

"Sorry for the interruption, Pyro get back to the story I'd like to get out of here before I turn 50," I joked and everyone visibly relaxed.

**Oh man, what an opening that was. Only a head shake from Lissa stopped me from unleashing any number of hilarious comebacks. Instead, I opted for simple brute force, so to speak.**

"As usual," Eddie quipped.

**"And if you mess with either of us again, I'll break you in half. If you don't believe me, go ask Dawn Yarrow about what I did to her arm in ninth grade. You were probably at nap time when it happened."**

**The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation, in addition to my smartass one. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night.**

Christian snorted. "We don't _have _campfires."

"Yeah, unless you catch yourself on fire," I retorted. "In that case, we have a _lot _of campfires." I sniggered as Christian gave me a dirty look.

**Judging from the look on this girl's face, it was.**

**One of the patrolling staff members strolled by right then, casting suspicious eyes at our little meeting. Doll Girl backed off, taking Aaron's arm. "Come on," she said.**

**"Hey, Aaron," I said cheerfully, remembering he was there. "Nice to see you again."**

**He gave me a quick nod and an uneasy smile, just as the girl dragged him off. Same old Aaron. He might be nice and cute, **

"You have a thing for him or something?" Eddie asked. "You keep pointing out how cute he is and all."

I shrugged. "I was just making a statement," I defended myself.

**but aggressive he was not.**

**I turned to Lissa. "You okay?" She nodded. "Any idea who I just threatened to beat up?"**

"You didn't even know who you threatened?" Mikhail said shocked.

"Definitely your daughter Abe," my mother said.

**"Not a clue." I started to lead her toward the lunch line, but she shook her head at me. "Gotta go see the feeders."**

"Don't judge me no matter what," I cut in staring at everyone. "I no longer react like this." Everyone just nodded but I could tell they were wondering what would make me say that so suddenly.

**A funny feeling settled over me. I'd gotten so used to being her primary blood source that the thought of returning to the Moroi's normal routine seemed strange. In fact, it almost bothered me. It shouldn't have. Daily feedings were part of a Moroi's life, something I hadn't been able to offer her while living on our own. It had been an inconvenient situation, one that left me weak on feeding days and her weak on the days in between. I should have been happy she would get some normality.**

**I forced a smile. "Sure."**

**We walked into the feeding room, which sat adjacent to the cafeteria. It was set up with small cubicles, dividing the room's space in an effort to offer privacy. A dark-haired Moroi woman greeted us at the entrance and glanced down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages. Finding what she needed, she made a few notes and then gestured for Lissa to follow. Me she gave a puzzled look, but she didn't stop me from entering.**

**She led us to one of the cubicles where a plump, middle-aged woman sat leafing through a magazine. She looked up at our approach and smiled. In her eyes, I could see the dreamy, glazed-over look most feeders had. She'd probably neared her quota for the day, judging from how high she appeared to be.**

**Recognizing Lissa, her smile grew. "Welcome back, Princess."**

Sydney looked surprised. "The feeders knew of the royal system and such?" She asked, sounding astonished.

I nodded. "Yeah. Well, they spend their entire life as a feeder, so they're bound to pick up things," I replied.

"Oh," Sydney replied, frowning thoughtfully.

**The greeter left us, and Lissa sat down in the chair beside the woman. I sensed a feeling of discomfort in her, a little different from my own. This was weird for her too; it had been a long time. The feeder, however, had no such reservations. An eager look crossed her face—the look of a junkie about to get her next fix.**

**Disgust poured into me. It was an old instinct, one that had been drilled in over the years. Feeders were essential to Moroi life. They were humans who willingly volunteered to be a regular blood source, humans from the fringes of society who gave their lives over to the secret world of the Moroi. They were well cared for and given all the comforts they could need. But at the heart of it, they were drug users, addicts to Moroi saliva and the rush it offered with each bite. The Moroi—and guardians—looked down on this dependency, even though the Moroi couldn't have survived otherwise unless they took victims by force. Hypocrisy at its finest.**

**The feeder tilted her head, giving Lissa full access to her neck. Her skin there was marked with scars from years of daily bites. The infrequent feedings Lissa and I had done had kept my neck clear; my bite marks never lasted more than a day or so.**

"Lucky for me," I muttered.

**Lissa leaned forward, fangs biting into the feeder's yielding flesh. The woman closed her eyes, making a soft sound of pleasure. I swallowed, watching Lissa drink. I couldn't see any blood, but I could imagine it. A surge of emotion grew in my chest: longing. Jealousy. **

My mom looked at me disapprovingly.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri said suddenly.

I looked at him confused. "For what?" I asked him.

He hesitated, his eyes darting around the room for a moment before coming back to my face. "I didn't help with that, did I?" He asked softly, looking down now, ashamed.

I sighed. "It's in the past, Comrade. I'm over it now. Okay?"

He nodded, still looking down. I sighed, but waved at Christian, indicating for him to start reading again.

**I averted my eyes, staring at the floor. Mentally, I scolded myself.**

**What's wrong with you? Why should you miss it? You only did it once every day. You aren't addicted, not like this. And you don't want to be.**

"At least you knew what you were feeling was wrong." Mom said.

"Leave her alone, at least she kept Queen Vasilisa alive. You're looking at her like she's the biggest disappointment of your life!" Sydney snapped at my mom.

"Excuse me-" my mother said before I cut her off.

"Drop it, both of you. Thanks for sticking up for me though Sydney, I know how you feel about blood drinking and evil creatures of the night." I relayed to them.

**But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite.**

I felt Lissa's guilt through the bond.

"It's not your fault Liss, it was either feed from me or you'd eventually die. Your life was more important." I reassured her.

**Lissa finished and we returned to the commons, moving toward the lunch line. It was short, since we only had fifteen minutes left, and I strolled up and began to load my plate with french fries and some rounded, bite-size objects that looked vaguely like chicken nuggets.**

"You didn't know what you were eating? As long as it food it's fine right Hathaway?" Christian said laughing.

I shrugged. "Food is food." And speaking of feeding, Xavier was beginning to fuss again. I looked at my watch, surprised at how much time had passed since he last fed. He should have start crying a while ago. Dimitri handed him to me, then grabbed the blanket and set it over me so I wasn't flashing anyone as I took out my breast, letting Xavier suckle. After he was done, I checked his diaper, realizing it needed a change. I went to the bathroom, Dimitri trailing behind me. I made sure I had grabbed his diaper bag as I walked out. I took out another blanket, setting it on the counter by the sink, then set Xavier on it. As I was unbuttoning his onesie, Dimitri tentatively came closer, and asked, "Can I change him?" He looked uncertain, which surprised me. Xavier was his son; I didn't get why he was so hesitant.

"Of course; you don't even need to ask. He _is _your son too," I replied, stepping back and letting Dimitri take my place.

"I know, but, I don't know. I feel like I'm intruding upon your relationship," he said, looking down in utter concentration as he changed Xavier.

I snorted with disbelief. "Dimitri, you could never. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him earlier, but you should never be hesitant around him. I want you to have a part in his life; a big part. You're not intruding, or interfering." I sighed. "You could never. I'm sorry I kept him away from you," I finished softly.

Dimitri shook his head as he put a fresh diaper on Xavier. "I understand why you did it, and I'm surprisingly thankful." He looked over at me with a cheeky smile. "As long as I'm there for the rest of our kids."

My breath caught, and hope blazed in my heart. "You want more kids...with me?" I asked hopefully.

He looked at me with surprise. "Roza, I would love to have as many babies with you as you'll let me," he declared, re-buttoning Xavier's onesie. Dimitri lifted him up, and blew a raspberry on his cover stomach, causing Xavier to giggle and gurgle out, "Dada, dada." This cause Dimitri to smile like the sun, causing me to smile with them.

"You guys are so silly," I laughed, feeling high off of happiness. Dimitri wanted children with me, which meant that he wanted to be with me, which meant he still loved me. Of course, I never doubted the last part, but sometimes my insecurities got the better of me, and I lived in fear that during our time apart, he had found a prettier, smarter, and better woman.

"Who are you calling silly?" Dimitri asked, acting offended.

"You two," I replied.

"Well, we'll show you silly, right Xavi?" Dimitri shifted Xavier so he was laying along his arm, his 5 month old body easily fitting. "Let's go get Mommy!" Dimitri cried out, stepping towards me with Xavier, acting as if he was going to attack me. "Rawr!"

I laughed as I walked quickly out of the room, not moving too fast so that Xavier could have fun without Dimitri having to move too fast. Xavier's laughter filled the room as Dimitri marched towards while I pretended to run away.

"Do you still think we're silly?" Dimitri asked, laughter clear on his face and in his eyes.

I nodded, laughing too hard to answer.

"Then I'm gonna have to let Xavier get you!" Dimitri held Xavier out as Xavier reached his little arms toward me. I stepped closer, letting him wrap his chubby little arms around me.

"Oh no!" I cried out dramatically. "You've got me! Whatever will I do now!"

Xavier's laughs filled me ears as I stared into Dimitri's eyes with amusement.

"Admit we're not silly, and I'll _consider _allowing Xavier to let you go," Dimitri replied.

"Oh, you'll consider, huh? Well, in that case...you're the silliest of all silly creatures!" I exclaimed.

It was at that point that I realized we had an audience. I looked around, embarrassed, as everyone look on with amusement.

Taking advantage of my distraction, Dimitri came closer, wrapping his arms around both of us.

"No," he said softly. "_You're _the silliest of all silly creatures." He pressed a kiss on my forehead, and gently took Xavier from my arms. Xavier, who now had his little eyes closed, stirred very little, and snuggled into his Daddy's chest, just like I used to do back when we were still together. I swallowed the lump in my throat as we went back to our seats.

"Go on," I said casually, as if nothing had happened. Abe chuckled, his eyes bright with happiness for me.

Christian raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word; instead he began reading.

_**To Be Continued**_

* * *

A/N: So, that was chapter four: part one for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it xD! Thank you to everyone who reviewed: RosenDimitriforever40333, RiseAgainstItAll, our favorite anon Comrade, NekkaLovesChocolate, and twivampacademyfan._**  
**_

BTW, I'm sure many of you have noticed that I changed my pen name from ChelseaJayBaybeh to Chelsea Castile so remember that name. Also my cowriter, Tatiana Belikova, and I would like to thank you for continuing to reading our story.


	6. Chapter 4: Part 2

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

* * *

**Lissa only grabbed a yogurt. Moroi needed food, as dhampirs and humans did, but rarely had an appetite after drinking blood.**

**"So how'd classes go?" I asked.**

**She shrugged. Her face was bright with color and life now. "Okay. Lots of stares. A lot of stares. Lots of questions about where we were. Whispering."**

**"Same here," I said. The attendant checked us out, and we walked toward the tables. I gave Lissa a sidelong glance. "You okay with that? They aren't bothering you, are they?"**

**"No—it's fine." The emotions coming through the bond contradicted her words. Knowing I could feel that, she tried to change the subject by handing me her class schedule. I looked it over.**

**1st Period Russian 2**

I looked at Lissa with sudden realization. "You know Russian," I stated.

Lissa looked at me curiously, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, and...?" She replied.

I looked at her giddily. "You can teach me how to swear!" I cried out.

"NO!" Several voices yelled at once. Both of us looked around, startled, to see the alarmed faces of Alberta, Dimitri, and my mom.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You swear too much already," gripped my mom.

"I'm just trying to express myself," I huffed.

Abe had been quiet this entire time but now he was looking at me mischievously.

"Pislik," he suddenly said.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "What?" I asked.

He stood up and walked over to me, whispering in my ear, "It means asshole in Turkish."

"Oh!" I replied, my eyes wide. I frowned in concentration. "Pees-lik," I tried.

He shook his head. "PIs-lik."

"Pislik," I tried again.

He grinned. "Perfect. How about fuck?" I nodded eagerly.

"Sit-keer," he said slowly. Then repeated, "Sitkir."

"Sit-keer," I repeated. He nodded approvingly and opened his mouth to say something else but was stopped by the wondrous Janine (note the sarcasm).

"Ibrahim Mazur, are you teaching her how to swear?" She screeched. Abe winced.

"_Bok," _he muttered. I raised my eyebrows at him and he muttered, "Shit," out of the side of his mouth.

I let out a little chuckle as Abe tried to convince her it was totally innocent. While they were having their little 'lovers' spat,' Christian began reading again.

**2nd Period American Colonial Literature**

**3rd Period Basics of Elemental Control**

**4th Period Ancient Poetry**

—**Lunch —**

**5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology**

**6th Period Advanced Calculus**

**7th Period Moroi Culture 4**

**8th Period Slavic Art**

**"Nerd," I said.**

"Don't ever call her a nerd again," Christian growled.

"Grrr. What crawled up your ass and died?" I said snidely.

"Your attitude," he snapped.

**"If you were in Stupid Math like me, we'd have the same afternoon schedule." I stopped walking. "Why are you in elemental basics? That's a sophomore class."**

"Oh really? We didn't know that." Christian said sarcastically.

**She eyed me. "Because seniors take specialized classes."**

"I feel another explanation coming on..." complained Eddie as I shot him a glare.

**We fell silent at that. All Moroi wielded elemental magic. It was one of the things that differentiated living vampires from Strigoi, the dead vampires. Moroi viewed magic as a gift. It was part of their souls and connected them to the world.**

**A long time ago, they had used their magic openly averting natural disasters and helping with things like food and water production. They didn't need to do that as much anymore, but the magic was still in their blood. It burned in them and made them want to reach out to the earth and wield their power. Academies like this existed to help Moroi control the magic and learn how to do increasingly complex things with it. Students also had to learn the rules that surrounded magic, rules that had been in place for centuries and were strictly enforced.**

**All Moroi had a small ability in each element. When they got to be around our age, students "specialized" when one element grew stronger than the others: earth, water, fire, or air. Not specializing was like not going through puberty.**

**And Lissa…well, Lissa hadn't specialized yet.**

"But I had," she said. "Way before anyone else."

**"Is Ms. Carmack still teaching that? What she'd say?"**

**"She says she's not worried. She thinks it'll come."**

**"Did you—did you tell her about—"**

**Lissa shook her head. "No. Of course not."**

**We let the subject drop. It was one we thought about a lot but rarely spoke of.**

"What was it?" Jill asked.

"It'll probably come up soon," I replied.

**We started moving again, scanning the tables as we decided where to sit. A few pairs of eyes looked up at us with blatant curiosity.**

**"Lissa!" came a nearby voice. Glancing over, we saw Natalie waving at us.**

"Bitch!" I muttered.

**Lissa and I exchanged looks. Natalie was sort of Lissa's cousin in the way Victor was sort of her uncle, but we'd never hung out with her all that much.**

**Lissa shrugged and headed in that direction. "Why not?"**

"Cause she_ was_ boring as hell and didn't know when to shut the hell up," Jill complained and laughed. She'd been hanging around me way too much and I was starting to rub off.

**I followed reluctantly. Natalie was nice but also one of the most uninteresting people I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd. She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway.**

"That was lie," I commented. I sighed. "If only we weren't so blind."

**Natalie's friends eyed us with a quiet curiosity, but she didn't hold back. She threw her arms around us. Like Lissa, she had jade-green eyes, but her hair was jet black, like Victor's had been before his disease grayed it.**

**"You're back! I knew you would be! Everyone said you were gone forever, but I never believed that. I knew you couldn't stay away. Why'd you go? There are so many stories about why you left!" Lissa and I exchanged glances as Natalie prattled on. "Camille said one of you got pregnant and went off to have an abortion, but I knew that couldn't be true. Someone else said you went off to hang out with Rose's mom, but I figured Ms. Kirova and Daddy wouldn't have been so upset if you'd turned up there. Did you know we might get to be roommates? I was talking to…"**

"God, does this bitch ever shut up?" Vika grumbled clearly annoyed.

"Vika!" Dimitri reproached. "Watch your language."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

**On and on she chatted, flashing her fangs as she spoke. I smiled politely, letting Lissa deal with the onslaught until Natalie asked a dangerous question.**

**"What'd you do for blood, Lissa?"**

"Uh oh," Sydney said.

**The table regarded us questioningly Lissa froze, but I immediately jumped in, the lie coming effortlessly to my lips.**

"Doesn't it always?" Albert said comically.

**"Oh, it's easy. There are a lot of humans who want to do it."**

"That's actually true," Dimitri stated sadly.

**"Really?" asked one of Natalie's friends, wide-eyed.**

**"Yup. You find 'em at parties and stuff. They're all looking for a fix from something, and they don't really get that a vampire's doing it: most are already so wasted they don't remember anyway." My already vague details dried up, so I simply shrugged in as cool and confident a way as I could manage. It wasn't like any of them knew any better. "Like I said, it's easy. Almost easier than with our own feeders."**

"Not exactly," he said but I didn't ask him to elaborate.

**Natalie accepted this and then launched into some other topic. Lissa shot me a grateful look.**

**Ignoring the conversation again, I took in the old faces, trying to figure out who was hanging out with whom and how power had shifted within the school. Mason, sitting with a group of novices, caught my eye, and I smiled. Near him, a group of Moroi royals sat, laughing over something. Aaron and the blond girl sat there too.**

**"Hey, Natalie," I said, turning around and cutting her off. She didn't seem to notice or mind. "Who's Aaron's new girlfriend?"**

**"Huh? Oh. Mia Rinaldi." Seeing my blank look, she asked, "Don't you remember her?"**

**"Should I? Was she here when we left?"**

"Of course I was, I'd always been there." Mia cried out.

**"She's always been here," said Natalie. "She's only a year younger than us."**

"See," Mia said.

**I shot a questioning look at Lissa, who only shrugged.**

**"Why is she so pissed off at us?" I asked. "Neither of us know her."**

"Nope, but we were connected to Andre..." I said quietly.

**"I don't know," answered Natalie. "Maybe she's jealous about Aaron.**

"Why would I be jealous? I _had_ him already... until you ruined it." Mia shouted.

Me and Lissa looked at her pointedly.

"Last time I checked, it was _your _actions that fucked up that relationship." I said then she sneered at me.

"Mia, I'm sorry for what I did. But you did some pretty bad things too," Lissa replied. Mia sighed and let it go.

**She wasn't much of anybody when you guys left. She got really popular really fast. She isn't royal or anything, but once she started dating Aaron, she—"**

**"Okay, thanks," I interrupted. "It doesn't really—"**

**My eyes lifted up from Natalie's face to Jesse Zeklos's,**

Dimitri visibly stiffened.

**just as he passed by our table. Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him. I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him.**

"I fear foreshadowing," muttered Abe angrily.

I laughed nervously. "Why do you say that?"

He just gave me a dark look.

**He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot, he should have worn a WARNING: FLAMMABLE sign. **

Christian snickered. "I wouldn't mind setting him on fire. Seems like it would be entertaining."

**He met my eyes and grinned.**

**"Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?"**

**"Are you volunteering?"**

I snorted. "He doesn't have a heart, but I wouldn't mind breaking his face... Again" I muttered.

**His grin widened. "Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole."**

**He kept walking, and I watched him admiringly. Natalie and her friends stared at me in awe. I might not be a god in the Dimitri sense, but with this group, Lissa and I were gods— or at least former gods—of another nature.**

"Cocky much?" Christian and Eddie quipped.

Dimitri leaned into my side and whispered in my ear. "You were always a goddess to me," he said and I giggled.

**"Oh my gawd," exclaimed one girl. I didn't remember her name. "That was Jesse."**

**"Yes," I said, smiling. "It certainly was."**

**"I wish I looked like you," she added with a sigh.**

**Their eyes fell on me. Technically, I was half-Moroi, but my looks were human. I'd blended in well with humans during our time away, so much so that I'd barely thought about my appearance at all. Here, among the slim and small-chested Moroi girls, certain features—meaning my larger breasts and more defined hips—stood out. I knew I was pretty, but to Moroi boys, my body was more than just pretty: it was sexy in a risqué way. Dhampirs were an exotic conquest, a novelty all Moroi guys wanted to "try."**

"Quite the cocky bitch aren't you?" Christian said smirking.

"Of course asshat," I retorted glaring at him. "At least I had a reason to be cocky; it was a proven fact. What's your excuse?"

He scowled, but Lissa nudged him. "Keep reading before you guys get into a half hour long argument."

He sighed, but did as she said

**It was ironic that dhampirs had such an allure here, because slender Moroi girls looked very much like the super-skinny runway models so popular in the human world. Most humans could never reach that "ideal" skinniness, just as Moroi girls could never look like me. Everyone wanted what she couldn't have.**

"Except you," Sydney said giggling.

"Oh, you know me so well!" I said joining her.

**Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were,**

"We never forgot," said Eddie.

**and the novelty—though not the intrigue—of our crazy stunt wore off.**

**Or maybe I should say, they remembered who I was. Because I was the only one talking. Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in my attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her.**

**"All right," I told her when classes finally ended. We stood outside the school, and I was fully aware that in doing so, I was already breaking the terms of my agreement with Kirova. "We're not staying here," I told her, looking around the campus uneasily. I'm going to find a way to get us out."**

"Yeah, because that's so easy." Alberta said sarcastically.

**"You think we could really do it a second time?" Lissa asked quietly.**

**"Absolutely." I spoke with certainty, again relieved she couldn't read my feelings. Escaping the first time had been tricky enough. Doing it again would be a real bitch, not that I couldn't still find a way.**

"I knew you were hesitant, that's why I convinced you to stay." Lissa said proudly.

**"You really would, wouldn't you?" She smiled, more to herself than to me, like she'd thought of something funny. "Of course you would. It's just, well. . ." She sighed. "I don't know if we should go. Maybe—maybe we should stay."**

**I blinked in astonishment. "What?" Not one of my more eloquent answers, but the best I could manage.**

"Since when is anything you say 'eloquent'?" Christian mused.

"Sh!" Lissa said glaring at him.

**I'd never expected this from her.**

**"I saw you, Rose. I saw you talking to the other novices during class, talking about practice. You miss that."**

**"It's not worth it," I argued. "Not if…not if you…" I couldn't finish, but she was right. She'd read me. I had missed the other novices. Even some of the Moroi. But there was more to it than just that. The weight of my inexperience, how much I'd fallen behind, had been growing all day.**

**"It might be better," she countered. "I haven't had as many…you know, things happening in a while. I haven't felt like anyone was following or watching us."**

"Too bad we were wrong," Lissa and I said at the same time.

**I didn't say anything to that. Before we'd left the Academy, she'd always felt like someone was following her, like she was being hunted. I'd never seen evidence to support that, but I had once heard one of our teachers go on and on about the same sort of thing. Ms. Karp. She'd been a pretty Moroi, with deep auburn hair and high cheekbones. And I was pretty sure she'd been crazy.**

"No offense, we know it was the spirit darkness now." I said to Sonya.

"None taken, it's the truth but if I may recall you're crazy too." She said to me with a hint of a smile on her lips and I laughed lightly.

**"You never know who's watching," she used to say, walking briskly around the classroom as she shut all the blinds. "Or who's following you. Best to be safe. Best to always be safe." We'd snickered amongst ourselves because that's what students do around eccentric and paranoid teachers. The thought of Lissa acting like her bothered me.**

"Rose! Why do you always expect the worst of me?" Lissa whined.

"It's not you Liss; it's the darkness inside of you." I said sadly as Lissa sighed.

**"What's wrong?" Lissa asked, noticing that I was lost in thought.**

**"Huh? Nothing. Just thinking." I sighed, trying to balance my own wants with what was best for her. "Liss, we can stay, I guess…but there are a few conditions."**

**This made her laugh. "A Rose ultimatum, huh?"**

"Is there any other?" I said with a chuckle while everyone else laughed. I'm sure it was at me and not with me.

**"I'm serious."**

"Words she doesn't say very much," Eddie and Mia said in unison. Mia winked at Eddie and he blushed; I'm definitely going to have to talk to him about that.

**Words I didn't say very much. **

Mia grinned as Eddie paled. "Good God, I think like Rose." he whined

"Hey!" I said getting up and punching him in the arm, "You don't see Mia complaining."

"That's because she's just as devious as you," he replied. I couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't go to the _extreme_ measures she would." I returned.

"ROSE!" Lissa and Mia yelled.

"Sorry, Mia." I muttered.

**"I want you to stay away from the royals. Not like Natalie or anything but you know, the others. The power players. Camille. Carly. That group."**

**Her amusement turned to astonishment. "Are you serious?"**

**"Sure. You never liked them anyway."**

**"You did."**

**"No. Not really. I liked what they could offer. All the parties and stuff."**

"That doesn't seem like you," Sydney said with a raised brow.

"That's because it's not. I haven't been that girl since we ran away," I countered.

"I wonder..." Sydney said more to herself than to me.

**"And you can go without that now?" She looked skeptical.**

**"Sure. We did in Portland."**

**"Yeah, but that was different." Her eyes stared off, not really focused on any one thing. "Here…here I've got to be a part of that. I can't avoid it."**

**"The hell you do. Natalie stays out of that stuff."**

**"Natalie isn't going to inherit her family's title," she retorted. "I've already got it. I've got to be involved, start making connections. Andre—"**

Mia flinched and Eddie got up and went to sit on the arm of her chair as he comforted her.

**"Liss," I groaned. "You aren't Andre."**

"Rose is right; you aren't a lying sack of shit!" Mia uttered.

Lissa flinched, and then Christian pulled her into his chest and murmured something in her ear while glaring at Mia.

"Sorry, I forgot." Mia said.

"It's alright Mia..." I started.

"...he was an ass for what he did to you." Lissa finished pulling away from Chris, and then we looked at each other and laughed.

"Always in sync," we said together then laughed again.

**I couldn't believe she was still comparing herself to her brother.**

"Me either," Lissa muttered.

**"He was always involved in all that stuff."**

**"Yeah, well," I snapped back, "he's dead now."**

Everyone in the room gasped and looked at me in shock.

"What?" I asked. "She didn't need to be coddled! She needed tough love."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Kind of like you?" He asked.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and suddenly he leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "If you don't want that tongue to end up in my mouth, I suggest you put it back in your mouth."

I shivered, feeling his breath on my neck, but stuck my tongue out at him again. He looked at me seriously. "Don't tempt me," he warned.

I considered it for a moment, but decided I didn't want our first kiss to be because of a game, and in front of everyone. So I withdrew my tongue back into my mouth. Dimitri leaned back, satisfied.

**Her face hardened. "You know, sometimes you aren't very nice."**

"So, I've been told." I snapped.

**"You don't keep me around to be nice. You want nice, there are a dozen sheep in there who would rip each other's throats to get in good with the Dragomir princess. You keep me around to tell you the truth, and here it is: Andre's dead. You're the heir now, and you're going to deal with it however you can. **

"As much as I don't agree with how you worded things, I have to admit you had a valid point Rosemarie." My mom remarked as I glared at her for use of my full name.

"That still doesn't give her a right to be a bitch!" Christian replied.

"Oh, shut the _sitkir_ up Sparky! No one gives a _bok _what you think!" I said, proud of myself because I could finally use the swear words my father taught me. Lissa sighed then rolled her eyes.

**But for now, that means staying away from the other royals. We'll just lie low. Coast through the middle. Get involved in that stuff again, Liss, and you'll drive yourself…"**

**"Crazy?" she supplied when I didn't finish.**

**Now I looked away. "I didn't mean…"**

**"It's okay" she said, after a moment. She sighed and touched my arm. "Fine. We'll stay and we'll keep out of all that stuff. We'll 'coast through the middle' like you want. Hang out with Natalie, I guess."**

"Worst idea ever," I mumbled.

**To be perfectly honest, I didn't want any of that. I wanted to go to all the royal parties and wild drunken festivities like we'd done before. **

"I hope you two weren't drinking at any of these parties." My mother said glaring at me.

I shrugged, "It wouldn't have been a party if Badass Rose Hathaway wasn't there drunk off her ass."

**We'd kept out of that life for years until Lissa's parents and brother died. Andre should have been the one to inherit her family's title, and he'd certainly acted like it. Handsome and outgoing, he'd charmed everyone he knew**

"You can say that again," Mia mumbled under her breath while rolling her eyes

**and had been a leader in all the royal cliques and clubs that existed on campus. After his death, Lissa had felt it was her family duty to take his place.**

**I'd gotten to join that world with her. It was easy for me, because I didn't really have to deal with the politics of it. I was a pretty dhampir, one who didn't mind getting into trouble and pulling crazy stunts. I became a novelty; they liked having me around for the fun of it.**

Adrian snorted.

**Lissa had to deal with other matters. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve ruling families. She'd have a very powerful place in Moroi society, and the other young royals wanted to get in good with her. Fake friends tried to schmooze her and get her to team up against other people. The royals could bribe and backstab in the same breath—and that was just with each other. To dhampirs and non-royals, they were completely unpredictable.**

**That cruel culture had eventually taken its toll on Lissa. She had an open, kind nature, one that I loved, and I hated to see her upset and stressed by royal games. She'd grown fragile since the accident, and all the parties in the world weren't worth seeing her hurt.**

I heard a chorus of "awww" from the girls in the room.

"Rose, you care so much." Lissa said in near tears.

"Wow, look at this! Rosie has a heart!" Christian decided to ruin the moment.

I glared at him. "Call me Rosie one more time, and I'll shove the 'I' up your ass," I threatened.

Christian looked at me, confused. "How are you going to do that? It's nonexistent."

I gave him an evil smile. "Exactly."

"But..." he trailed off, his imagination seeming to do worse things than any one of my threats. After about a minute, Vika nudged him. He let out a high pitched squeak, causing me to burst out laughing. Red stained his cheeks as he looked back down at the book.

**"All right then," I said finally. "We'll see how this goes. If anything goes wrong—anything at all—we leave. No arguments."**

**She nodded.**

**"Rose?"**

**We both looked up at Dimitri's looming form. I hoped he hadn't heard the part about us leaving.**

I looked to Dimitri. "Actually, I didn't hear that. If I had you would have been on twenty-four seven surveillance." He said and I laughed. After a moment, I realized he wasn't smiling. My laughter dropped off.

"Oh," I said quietly. "You were serious."

He gave me an incredulous look. "Of course I'm serious! I wasn't about to lose you two again," he replied.

"Thank God you didn't hear us, then," I muttered, shaking my head at the horror it would have caused.

**"You're late for practice," he said evenly. Seeing Lissa, he gave a polite nod. "Princess."**

**As he and I walked away, I worried about Lissa and wondered if staying here was the right thing to do. I felt nothing alarming through the bond, but her emotions spiked all over the place. Confusion. Nostalgia. Fear. Anticipation. Strong and powerful, they flooded into me.**

**I felt the pull just before it happened. It was exactly like what had happened on the plane: her emotions grew so strong that they "sucked" me into her head before I could stop them. I could now see and feel what she did.**

**She walked slowly around the commons, toward the small Russian Orthodox chapel that served most of the school's religious needs. **

"What were you doing in a church?" Sonya asked Lissa but she just shook her head and pointed to the book.

**Lissa had always attended mass regularly. Not me.**

**I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him—barely—so long as he let me sleep in on Sundays.**

"Rose..." Sydney complained. She'd been trying to change my views on religion since we met but it just was not happening anytime soon.

"Not gonna happen," I replied.

"But-," she said as I cut her off.

"But nothing, I believe what I believe and so do you. Continue Christian," I said.

**But as she went inside, I could feel that she wasn't there to pray. She had another purpose, one I didn't know about. Glancing around, she verified that neither the priest nor any worshippers were close by. The place was empty.**

**Slipping through a doorway in the back of the chapel, she climbed a narrow set of creaky stairs up into the attic. Here it was dark and dusty. The only light came through a large stained-glass window that fractured the faint glow of sunrise into tiny, multicolored gems across the floor.**

"Sounds beautiful," Sydney said.

"It is," Lissa and Christian said.

**I hadn't known until that moment that this room was a regular retreat for Lissa. But now I could feel it, feel her memories of how she used to escape here to be alone and to think. The anxiety in her ebbed away ever so slightly as she took in the familiar surroundings. She climbed up into the window seat and leaned her head back against its side, momentarily entranced by the silence and the light.**

**Moroi could stand some sunlight, unlike the Strigoi, but they had to limit their exposure. Sitting here, she could almost pretend she was in the sun, protected by the glass's dilution of the rays.**

**Breathe, just breathe, she told herself. It'll be okay. Rose will take care of everything.**

"You believe in me too much," I said.

"Rose, you deserve it." Lissa said.

"No, I don't. I abandoned you Liss, once for Dimitri and now for Xavier. How could you believe in me?" I replied.

"Because..." Lissa began, "You left to keep your promise to Dimitri, and now you have to take care of your child. He needs you more than I do. Never doubt what you've done. It's made you who you are today Rose. You're always there when I need you, even when you're halfway across the world. That is why I believe in you."

I smiled, "Thank you Lissa."

**She believed that passionately, like always, and relaxed further.**

**Then a low voice spoke from the darkness.**

**"You can have the Academy but not the window seat."**

Mia rolled her eyes, "Christian you need to work on your sarcasm. There wasn't even any suspicion. I knew it was you automatically."

I laughed as he glared at her. "Keep talking and see what happens _doll_ girl," he quipped as she grimaced.

**She sprang up, heart pounding. I shared her anxiety, and my own pulse quickened. "Who's there?"**

**A moment later, a shape rose from behind a stack of crates, just outside her field of vision. The figure stepped forward, and in the poor lighting, familiar features materialized. Messy black hair. Pale blue eyes. A perpetually sardonic smirk.**

**Christian Ozera.**

**"Don't worry," he said. "I won't bite. Well, at least not in the way you're afraid of." He chuckled at his own joke.**

"A joke that wasn't even funny," I muttered and everyone except Chris laughed.

"Come on, you gotta admit that was a good one!" he yelled and everyone just looked around. His cheeks flamed and he sighed.

**She didn't find it funny. **

"Neither did we," Eddie retorted and we all laughed again.

**She had completely forgotten about Christian. So had I.**

"Way to make me feel loved," Christian mumbled under his breath and Lissa kissed him lightly on the lips.

**No matter what happened in our world, a few basic truths about vampires remained the same. **

"Dun, dun, dun. I feel another explanation coming on." Eddie said laughing as I glared at him.

**Moroi were alive; Strigoi were undead. Moroi were mortal; Strigoi were immortal. Moroi were born; Strigoi were made.**

**And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs, or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go into the sun.**

**This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi.**

Christian choked out the last two sentences and Lissa put a hand on his. He cleared his throat, "So whose reading next?"

"I will," Jill said getting up and taking the book from him. "Chapter 5..."

* * *

A/N: Here is chapter four part two for all you faithful readers! We hope you liked it (: Thank you to everyone who reviewed (RosenDimitriforever40333, RiseAgainstItAll, our fav anon Comrade, Maelwaedd, and georgia D. rose).


	7. Chapter 5

**OR RATHER, THEY HAD BEEN Strigoi. **

Christian sighed. "You just had to bring it up, didn't you?" He said distastefully.

I shrugged. "Sorry, you just reminded me of it. Not my fault how my mind works," I replied.

**A regiment of guardians had hunted them down and killed them. If rumors were true, Christian had witnessed it all when he was very young. **

Christian nodded silently. I remembered how he had described it to me, and shuddered.

**And although he wasn't Strigoi himself, some people thought he wasn't far off, with the way he always wore black and kept to himself.**

"Dimitri keeps to himself!" Christian protested. "Does that mean _he's _going to go Strigoi?"

I rolled my eyes. "First of all, he couldn't even he wanted to; he's a dhampir. Second, he would never want to. And third, I never said you were going to; I was simply stating what others thought."

He grumbled something underneath his breath about other people's opinions that didn't sound too complimentary, but I paid him no attention, waving Jill on.

**Strigoi or not, I didn't trust him. **

Christian gasped in mock shock. "And here I was, prepared to tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets," he dramatically.

I rolled my eyes and snorted, but didn't say anything. I was getting tired.

**He was a jerk, and I silently screamed at Lissa to get out of there—not that my screaming did much good. Stupid one-way bond.**

**"What are you doing here?" she asked.**

**"Taking in the sights, of course. That chair with the tarp on it is particularly lovely this time of year. Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir. And let's not forget that beautiful table with no legs in the corner."**

Adrian shook his head with mock pity. "That's not how you charm a girl," he said condescendingly. "This is how you do it."

Adrian turned toward Sydney and took her hand gently in his, but before he could do anything, I called out teasingly, "How are you going to charm her? With your alcohol breath and cigarette smoke?"

Adrian gave me a dirty look before looking back at Sydney. "You're eyes are as beautiful as the ocean on a calm, sunny day. Your hair looks like silk; will you give me the honor of finding out if it feels like silk too?" he asked, his voice smooth.

I was astonished. I don't think he had ever said anything like that to me. Mostly it was meaningless flirting, but nothing like that.

Sydney looked slightly flustered, but regained her composure, pulling her hand away.

"My hair feels like hair; if I had silk growing out of my head it would make washing and brushing my hair very awkward," she said dryly.

Adrian scowled, while Christian laughed. "Oh, yeah, that's definitely a lesson learned," he guffawed.

I rolled my eyes. It really wasn't that funny, and I was tired. "Oh stop with gorilla impersonation," I snapped. "You're giving me a headache."

Christian stuck his tongue out at me, and me being the adult that I was, I simply sniffed with disdain - that is, until no one was looking, then I stuck my tongue out at him. Lissa saw, and just giggled at our childish tactics.

**"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and moved toward the door, wanting to leave, but he blocked her way.**

**"Well, what about you?" he taunted. "Why are you up here? Don't you have parties to go to or lives to destroy?"**

**Some of Lissa's old spark returned. "Wow, that's hilarious. Am I like a rite of passage now? Go and see if you can piss off Lissa to prove how cool you are? Some girl I don't even know yelled at me today, and now I've got to deal with you? What does it take to be left alone?"**

Most people looked at Lissa in surprise. Not many people had seen this side of her and for me to say 'her old spark returned' was shocking.

**"Oh. So that's why you're up here. For a pity party."**

**"This isn't a joke. I'm serious." I could tell Lissa was getting angry. It was trumping her earlier distress.**

**He shrugged and leaned casually against the sloping wall. "So am I. I love pity parties. I wish I'd brought the hats. What do you want to mope about first? How it's going to take you a whole day to be popular and loved again? How you'll have to wait a couple weeks before Hollister can ship out some new clothes? If you spring for rush shipping, it might not be so long."**

Jill shook her head in amazement. "I thought it was hard to believe that Rose and Dimitri fell in love, but seeing you two now...how in the world did this happen?" She asked incredulously.

Lissa shrugged, snuggling into Christian's chest. "It just happened." She paused. "No thanks to Rose, of course." She threw me a dirty look, but I could tell she was kidding - even without the bond.

I grimaced. "Sorry I was looking out for my bestie. And besides, I already apologized for it, so meh." I stuck my tongue out at her.

Lissa giggled, but waved to Jill to continue.

**"Let me leave," she said angrily, this time pushing him aside.**

**"Wait," he said, as she reached the door. The sarcasm disappeared from his voice. "What…um, what was it like?"**

**"What was what like?" she snapped.**

**"Being out there. Away from the Academy."**

**She hesitated for a moment before answering, caught off guard by what seemed like a genuine attempt at conversation. "It was great. No one knew who I was. I was just another face. Not Moroi. Not royal. Not anything." She looked down at the floor. "Everyone here thinks they know who I am."**

Mia shook her head with amazement. "All my life, I only wanted to be royal, and yet one of the most royal Moroi doesn't want to be known," she said with disbelief.

"I hate all the games they play, all the backstabbing and hatred for absolutely no reason. It makes me sick to my stomach." Lissa shuddered delicately.

Mia sighed. "I thought it was all worth it just to be known. Now I realize that it's better to be yourself and be happy than to be known."

I smiled at her. "When did you get so smart?" I teased.

Her face darkened. "After I watched an innocent boy get killed by a Strigoi," she muttered.

I flinched as the memory bombarded my mind.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, my God, Rose, I am so, so sorry! I didn't mean to!" She wailed, walking up to me and wrapping her arms around me.

I returned her hug, but pulled away quickly, wiping away a tear that had fallen. "I'm alright," I said thickly. "Just, give me a sec, will ya?"

Mia nodded, backing away to her seat.

I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself down. Once I was in control of myself, I nodded toward Jill to go on.

As she started to read, Dimitri reached his arm over and gave my hand a squeeze. I looked up at him, giving him a small smile of thanks.

**"Yeah. It's kind of hard to outlive your past," he said bitterly.**

**It occurred to Lissa at that moment—and me to by default—just how hard it might be to be Christian. Most of the time, people treated him like he didn't exist. Like he was a ghost. They didn't talk to or about him. They just didn't notice him. The stigma of his parents' crime was too strong, casting its shadow onto the entire Ozera family.**

Christian snorted. "Yay, you felt something like pity for me," he droned out sarcastically.

"Actually, no," Jill said. Christian looked at her, confused, but it was cleared up with the next sentence.

**Still, he'd pissed her off, and she wasn't about to feel sorry for him.**

"See?" Jill pointed out.

Christian rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

**"Wait—is this your pity party now?"**

**He laughed, almost approvingly. "This room has been my pity party for a year now."**

**"Sorry," said Lissa snarkily. "I was coming here before I left. I've got a longer claim."**

**"Squatters' rights. Besides, I have to make sure I stay near the chapel as much as possible so people know I haven't gone Strigoi…yet." Again, the bitter tone rang out.**

**"I used to always see you at mass. Is that the only reason you go? To look good?" Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground. More of that sinning-against-the-world thing.**

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Christian said sarcastically.

I was about to answer when I took a closer look at him. His face was dark, and he seemed tense. Looking down, I realized that he was clutching Lissa's hand. Diving into her head real quick, I realized the reason for his tension, and felt stupid for not realizing it earlier. He was upset about his family being constantly brought up - Tasha was probably a sore spot too. I sighed.

"Sorry, I can't control my thoughts," I told him quietly. He met my eyes, and then looked away. We both understood: it was as close to apology as he was about to get.

**"Sure," he said. "Why else go? For the good of your soul?"**

"Yes!" Lissa and Sydney exclaimed at the same time, then looked at each other and laughed.

**"Whatever," said Lissa, who clearly had a different opinion. "I'll leave you alone then."**

**"Wait," he said again. He didn't seem to want her to go. "I'll make you a deal. You can hang out here too if you tell me one thing."**

**"What?" She glanced back at him.**

**He leaned forward. "Of all the rumors I heard about you today—and believe me, I heard plenty, even if no one actually told them to me—there was one that didn't come up very much. They dissected everything else: why you left, what you did out there, why you came back, the specialization, what Rose said to Mia, blah, blah, blah. And in all of that, no one, no one ever questioned that stupid story that Rose told about there being all sorts of fringe humans who let you take blood."**

**She looked away, and I could feel her cheeks starting to burn. "It's not stupid. Or a story."**

Christian pecked Lissa on the cheek. "And that, my darling, is how I knew you were lying."

I rolled my eyes. "And it has nothing to do with the fact that Lissa sucks at lying, right?" I asked sarcastically.

"Hey! I don't suck at lying!" Lissa protested.

I just gave her a deadpan stare. "Yes you do."

Lissa huffed in annoyance, but Jill continued reading, not letting her say anything.

**He laughed softly. "I've lived with humans. My aunt and I stayed away after my parents…died. It's not that easy to find blood."**

Jill and Viktoria looked at him in confusion. "If you lived with humans before, then why did you ask her what it was like?" Viktoria asked.

Christian shrugged. "I wanted to hear it from her perspective," he replied.

**When she didn't answer, he laughed again. "It was Rose, wasn't it? She fed you."**

Alberta looked surprised. "You figured that out so easily. Why did you assume it was Rose?" she asked curiously.

Christian shrugged. "Well, I knew fringe humans weren't really as common as they made them out to be, so I figured the only person who could have fed her regularly is Rose. I'm surprised no one else picked on it," he replied nonchalantly.

"Because no one else had experience in the human world," I said. "So they had no cause to disagree with what I said."

Alberta thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess so," she said thoughtfully.

Jill began again.

**A renewed fear shot through both her and me. No one at school could know about that. Kirova and the guardians on the scene knew, but they'd kept that knowledge to themselves.**

**"Well. If that's not friendship, I don't know what it is," he said.**

**"You can't tell anyone," she blurted out.**

**This was all we needed. As I'd just been reminded, feeders were vampire-bite addicts. We accepted that as part of life but still looked down on them for it. For anyone else—especially a dhampir—letting a Moroi take blood from you was almost, well, dirty. In fact, one of the kinkiest, practically pornographic things a dhampir could do was let a Moroi drink blood during sex.**

Dimitri looked down, looking pained. I lightly put my hand on his arm. "Hey, it's alright," I murmured.

He glanced at me, and then nodded, relaxing.

**Lissa and I hadn't had sex, **

"Oh, the images," Adrian said dreamily.

Christian glared. "Quit imagining my girlfriend naked," he snapped.

Adrian shrugged. "Okay. I'll just have to imagine Rose with some other chick. Still hot," he replied offhandedly.

"Quit imagining Rose naked," Dimitri barked. "If you ever want to see again."

Adrian rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything, focusing on the book once more.

**of course, but we'd both known what others would think of me feeding her.**

**"Don't tell anyone," Lissa repeated.**

**He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and sat down on one of the crates. "Who am I going to tell? **

"Your imaginary friends, that's who!" I cackled.

Christian snorted. "At least mine are imaginary," he said snarkily. "How're the ghosts, Psycho Freak?"

I glared at him. "I can't see them, dip wad. We're within wards."

Christian smirked. "I rest my case."

**Look, go grab the window seat. You can have it today and hang out for a while. If you're not still afraid of me."**

**She hesitated, studying him. He looked dark and surly, lips curled in a sort of I'm-such-a-rebel smirk. But he didn't look too dangerous. He didn't look Strigoi. Gingerly, she sat back down in the window seat, unconsciously rubbing her arms against the cold.**

**Christian watched her, and a moment later, the air warmed up considerably.**

**Lissa met Christian's eyes and smiled, surprised she'd never noticed how icy blue they were before. "You specialized in fire?"**

**He nodded and pulled up a broken chair. "Now we have luxury accommodations."**

**I snapped out of the vision.**

**"Rose? Rose?"**

**Blinking, I focused on Dimitri's face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders. I'd stopped walking; we stood in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings.**

**"Are you all right?"**

**"I…yeah. I was…I was with Lissa…" I put a hand to my forehead. I'd never had such a long or clear experience like that. "I was in her head."**

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "Well, that certainly clears things up," he said sarcastically.

I looked at him like he had grown a third head. "You've spent waaay too much time around me," I muttered.

**"Her…head?"**

**"Yeah. It's part of the bond." I didn't really feel like elaborating.**

**"Is she all right?"**

**"Yeah, she's…" I hesitated. Was she all right? Christian Ozera had just invited her to hang out with him. Not good. There was "coasting through the middle," and then there was turning to the dark side. **

Christian snorted. "'Turning to the dark side'? What is this, Star Wars? Am I Darth Vader now?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yup. Fitting, since most of his body was burned, and you're dumb enough to burn away half your body." I sniggered.

"Well, you're dumb enough to -"

"Enough!" Lissa cried out in frustration. "Enough, both of you! You're giving me a headache." She turned to Christian. "Stop making remarks." She then turned toward me. "Stop provoking him." Then, she looked at Jill. "Continue, please."

**But the feelings humming through our bond were no longer scared or upset. She was almost content, though still a little nervous. "She's not in danger," I finally said. I hoped.**

**"Can you keep going?"**

**The hard, stoic warrior I'd met earlier was gone—just for a moment—and he actually looked concerned. Truly concerned. Feeling his eyes on me like that made something flutter inside of me**

Lissa raised an eyebrow. "It started this early?" She asked, calm now.

I felt a smile tug at the edge of my lip. "Yeah, I guess so," I replied

—**which was stupid, of course. I had no reason to get all goofy, just because the man was too good-looking for his own good. After all, he was an antisocial god, according to Mason. One who was supposedly going to leave me in all sorts of pain.**

Mia wiggled her eyebrows. "_All _sorts of pain," she giggled.

I blushed again, for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "Jeez, I didn't mean _that _way. Get your mind out of the gutter!" I groaned.

Mia laughed.

"Roza, hanging around you, my mind is always in the gutter," Dimitri whispered seductively into my ear, then pulled back to see my face.

I was shocked that Dimitri would ever say anything like that, especially in front of people. Not to mention, now my mind was flooded with all the things Dimitri could be thinking.

"Can I read now?" Jill's voice snapped me out of my reverie.

I blinked a couple times, coming back. "Um...yeah," I muttered, still distracted.

**"Yeah. I'm fine."**

**I went into the gym's dressing room and changed into the workout clothes someone had finally thought to give me after a day of practicing in jeans and a T-shirt. **

All the dhampirs in the room, plus Mia, wrinkled their noses. All of us had been in that situation, and everyone knew how disgusting it was.

**Gross. Lissa hanging out with Christian troubled me, but I shoved that thought away for later as my muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today.**

**So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time.**

**He laughed, and I was pretty sure it was at me and not with me.**

**"Why is that funny?"**

**"Oh," he said, his smile dropping. "You were serious."**

I shook my head, looking at Dimitri incredulously. "Did you seriously think I was kidding?" I asked.

Dimitri nodded. "I'd seen how set you were on being Lissa's guardian; I thought you were joking around, since letting you off would be counterproductive to your goal. Plus, I wanted to see where you were before you were in too much pain to do anything," he finished, shrugging.

I scowled, grumbling under my breath.

**"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed," I whined. "It's just one hour."**

**He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love. "How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?"**

**"I hurt like hell."**

**"You'll feel worse tomorrow."**

**"So?"**

**"So, better to jump in now while you still feel…not as bad."**

**"What kind of logic is that?" I retorted.**

"Belikov logic," he said smugly.

I attempted to raise an eyebrow, with little success. "'Belikov logic'? Really?"

"Really," he replied. "You have Rose logic, I have Belikov logic."

"Which isn't logic at all," I countered.

"Oh, but it is. It's almost as effective as your Rose logic, and more logical," he said smartly.

"Yeah, but Rose logic gets things done. With your Belikov logic, you're all, 'think first, and then act.' With me, it's 'punch first, ask questions later,'" I said smugly.

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "But that's how it doesn't work always, and gets you in trouble. You _don't _think, and that gets you in trouble, setting you back and keeping you from doing what you need to. If you think first, then act, thereby using Belikov logic, you would get things done at a quicker pace with fewer problems."

I opened my mouth to reply, but realized that everyone was gaping at us.

"Did you seriously just have like a ten minute discussion about whose logic is more effective?" Viktoria asked with disbelief.

I shrugged. "Yeah, and?"

She shook her head.

I turned toward Dimitri to continue our discussion, but was cut off by my mom. "How about we settle this, once and for all," she said through gritted teeth. "Both have its uses. Sometimes it's better to act quickly, while at other times it's better to think things through, and then act. There, both logics have their uses. Now can we please continue reading? I want to get out of here before - before Xavier turns 30." She stumbled over her words slightly, like she was about to say something, but decided against it. She had a nervous look in her eye, too, but before I could interrogate her, Jill began reading again.

**But I didn't argue anymore as he led me into the weight room. **

"Shocker there," Alberta muttered.

**He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god.**

A smile played on Dimitri's lips. "Your thoughts of me are astounding, and also highly amusing," he said playfully. "The way you regard me as a 'god' is hilarious. I'm the farthest thing from one." He shook his head.

I looked at him softly. "To me, you will always be a god," I whispered.

He blushed slightly.

**When I finished, he stood beside me and demonstrated a few cool-down stretches.**

**"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" I asked. "You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?"**

**He didn't answer right away. I got the feeling he didn't talk about himself very often. **

Dimitri shook his head. "Until you started talking to me, I never talked about myself outside my family, and the couple friends I had."

I grinned. "You were antisocial until you met me," I said smugly.

He chuckled. "Pretty much, yeah."

I grinned. "Cause I'm just that good."

**"No. I attended the one in Siberia."**

**"Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana."**

Dimitri let out a chuckle. I sighed dreamily. I loved the sound of his laugh.

"Siberia isn't bad," he said with amusement.

I nodded. "Yup. It's really beautiful, actually. But you know, my memory is a little fuzzy from hitting my head so many times while I was there, and I was too busy taking care of Xavier the last time I was there. I don't remember much of the sights. Maybe you could take me there and refresh my memory?" I looked at him hopefully.

He hesitated, thinking it over for a moment. A determined expression appeared on his face. "Yes, I'll take you. We can visit my-_our_ family, once we finish the books, of course."

I nodded happily, understanding how hard it was for him to say that; going back would bring many memories, but in the end, it would be good because we would be making new, happier memories.

**A glint of something—maybe amusement—sparked in his eyes, **

"It was amusement," Dimitri said. "You read me so well." He looked at me fondly.

**but he didn't acknowledge the joke. "After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently." His smile dropped, his face grew dark. "They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus."**

Viktoria looked at him with surprise. "Getting something like that from you was like pulling teeth from a penguin! She hardly asks a question, and all of a sudden, you're gushing information like water from a popped water balloon. What's up with that?" she exclaimed.

Dimitri shrugged, looking down. "Because she's Rose, and read me like an open book, and I felt like I could trust her?" he mumbled.

I could tell he was upset, remembering Ivan. I reached over and squeezed his hand comfortingly, giving him a small smile when he glanced up at me. He gave me one in return.

Viktoria seemed to realize that now wasn't the moment, and kept quiet, letting Jill continue reading.

**I thought about what he'd said before. Some Strigoi killed the guy he was supposed to have been guarding? "Did this lord die on your watch?"**

"Rosemarie!" Mom chastised. "That's personal!"

"It's alright Guardian Hathaway," Dimitri assured her. "It was expected, and necessary. I would have had the same reaction."

I snorted. "You wouldn't be quite so forward, Comrade," I countered.

Dimitri shrugged. "Maybe not, but I would still be wondering."

**"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away."**

**He fell silent, his mind obviously somewhere else. The Moroi expected a lot from us, but they did recognize that the guardians were—more or less—only human. So, guardians got pay and time off like you'd get in any other job. Some hard-core guardians—like my mom—refused vacations, vowing never to leave their Moroi's sides. Looking at Dimitri now, I had a feeling he might very well turn into one of those. **

Dimitri nodded silently.

**If he'd been away on legitimate leave, he could hardly blame himself for what happened to that guy. Still, he probably did anyway. **

Dimitri shook his head. "I still can't believe how well you read me, even then."

I gave him a cheeky smile. "I'm just that good," I said smugly.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head again.

**I'd blame myself too if something happened to Lissa.**

Lissa frowned. "You shouldn't. I know you would have done everything possible to make sure nothing happened. I would never blame you, so you shouldn't either."

I sighed. "You will never understand, Liss. Even if you say it a million times, I would still blame myself. If any guardian's charge dies, regardless of whether they were there or not, the guardian will blame him or herself, because they are in charge of the life. It's like..." I frowned, trying to find a good comparison. "...like if you were to be watching the child of a friend, and that child died on your watch. No matter what, you will always blame yourself, even if there was no emotional attachment," I finally said.

Lissa's eyes widened as she imagined the scenario. "Oh," she said softly.

I nodded. "Yeah. Go on," I said to Jill.

**"Hey," I said, suddenly wanting to cheer him up, "did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that."**

Christian snorted. "Some way of cheering up," he said sarcastically.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "It got his mind off of it." My mind was suddenly flooded with other ways I could have taken his mind off if it. I felt myself becoming flushed as the images invaded.

"Rose?" Jill's voice pulled me out of my self-induced lust. "Are you alright?"

I cleared my throat, avoiding looking at Dimitri. "I-yeah. I'm fine," I muttered.

**He arched an eyebrow curiously. Cool. I'd always wished I could do that. **

_Shit. _Right on cue, everyone, and I mean _everyone _in the room raised an eyebrow. I groaned. "Really? You just had to throw it in my face, didn't you?" I grumbled.

"Seriously? You can't do it? That's hilarious!" Sparky said gleefully.

I scowled at him. "Shut up," I snapped.

"Okay, leave Rose alone," Jill commanded then began reading.

**"You're complimenting me on that?"**

**"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."**

**"Last one?"**

**"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds."**

Seeing Alberta about to say something, I raised a hand. "Yes, I know you guys never found us; that was Victor, blah, blah, blah." I rolled my eyes.

Alberta frowned, but didn't say anything.

**"This was the first time we found you. In Portland."**

**I sat up from my stretches and crossed my legs. "Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it."**

**"Maybe," he said dismissively. I could tell by his face he didn't believe that.**

Dimitri shrugged. "I didn't see the logic in sending psi-hounds, plus I never heard anything about it, and I had all the information about you two."

I rolled my eyes. "Cause that's not stalkerish at all," I said sarcastically.

Dimitri smiled. "Anything to get you two back."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled.

**I returned to the novices' dorm after that. The Moroi students lived on the other side of the quad, closer to the commons. The living arrangements were partly based on convenience. Being here kept us novices closer to the gym and training grounds. But we also lived separately to accommodate the differences in Moroi and dhampir lifestyles. Their dorm had almost no windows, aside from tinted ones that dimmed sunlight. They also had a special section where feeders always stayed on hand. The novices' dorm was built in a more open way, allowing for more light.**

"You guys are so lucky," Lissa sighed. "I wish I could be out in the sunlight like you."

**I had my own room because there were so few novices, let alone girls. The room they'd given me was small and plain, with a twin bed and a desk with a computer. My few belongings had been spirited out of Portland and now sat in boxes around the room. I rummaged through them, pulling out a T-shirt to sleep in.**

Adrian spoke for the first time in a long time. "You only sleep in a t-shirt?" he asked, suddenly interested.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Unless I'm sleeping with Dimitri. Then I sleep naked." I gave him my man-eater smile, laughing when he gulped loudly.

**I found a couple of pictures as I did, one of Lissa and me at a football game in Portland and another taken when I'd gone on vacation with her family, a year before the accident.**

Lissa and I exchanged a sad smile, remembering the vacation.

**I set them on my desk and booted up the computer. Someone from tech support had helpfully given me a sheet with instructions for renewing my e-mail account and setting up a password. I did both, happy to discover no one had realized that this would serve as a way for me to communicate with Lissa. **

Alberta groaned. "Why didn't we see that?" She face palmed.

I laughed. She looked hilarious right now.

**Too tired to write to her now, I was about to turn everything off when I noticed I already had a message. From Janine Hathaway. It was short:**

**I'm glad you're back. What you did was inexcusable.**

Abe looked at her, shocked. "Our daughter went missing for two years. God only knows what may have happened. Before that...you didn't see her for how long? And before that, she almost died? And all you can say...is that?" He sounded astonished. He wasn't yelling or anything, he sounded too shocked for that.

Mom looked down, ashamed. "I didn't know what else to say," she mumbled.

Abe continued staring at her with disbelief. "I - I have...nothing to say." Abe stared ahead.

I opened my mouth to defend my mom, but Dimitri put a hand on my arm.

"Let them work it out on their own," he murmured in my ear.

I slumped with defeat. "Alright."

**"Love you too, Mom," I muttered, shutting it all down.**

**When I went to bed afterward, I passed out before even hitting the pillow, and just as Dimitri had predicted, I felt ten times worse when I woke up the next morning. Lying there in bed, I reconsidered the perks of running away. Then I remembered getting my ass kicked and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to go endure some more of it this morning.**

"She's growing up!" Eddie cheered. "She's making a mature decision!"

I glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Eddie. I was matured waaay before you were," I replied.

**My soreness made it all that much worse, but I survived the before-school practice with Dimitri and my subsequent classes without passing out or fainting.**

"It's the same thing," Viktoria said smartly.

"Yeah, and?" I raised my eyebrows.

"So...you said it twice."

I shrugged. "My mind was impaired at the time. So sorry my thought process weren't perfect," I said snarkily back.

**At lunch, I dragged Lissa away from Natalie's table early and gave her a Kirova-worthy lecture about Christian—particularly chastising her for letting him know about our blood arrangement. If that got out, it'd kill both of us socially and I didn't trust him not to tell.**

Christian snorted. "Who was I going to tell? My huge group of friends that hang out with me every day?" he asked sarcastically.

I looked down. "Sorry. I didn't know you then."

Christian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's alright. Just...continue, Jill."

**Lissa had other concerns.**

**"You were in my head again?" she exclaimed. "For that long?"**

**"I didn't do it on purpose," I argued. "It just happened. And that's not the point. How long did you hang out with him afterward?"**

**"Not that long. It was kind of…fun."**

Christian smiled smugly.

**"Well, you can't do it again. If people find out you're hanging out with him, they'll crucify you." I eyed her warily. "You aren't, like, into him, are you?"**

Christian looked on expectantly.

**She scoffed. "No. Of course not."**

His face fell. Lissa saw, and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you now, Chris!" She gave him a big kiss on the lips.

I fake gagged, ruining their moment. Christian glared at me while Lissa blushed, telling Jill to continue.

**"Good. Because if you're going to go after a guy, steal Aaron back." He was boring, yes, but safe. Just like Natalie. How come all the harmless people were so lame? Maybe that was the definition of safe.**

"No, actually, the definition of safe is being 'Protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.'" Sydney said philosophically.

I gave her a dirty look. "Thanks Einstein. I was speaking generally, not literally." I rolled my eyes.

**She laughed. "Mia would claw my eyes out."**

**"We can take her. Besides, he deserves someone who doesn't shop at Gap Kids."**

"I don't - oh, why do I bother?" Mia muttered.

**"Rose, you've got to stop saying things like that."**

**"I'm just saying what you won't."**

**"She's only a year younger," said Lissa. She laughed. "I can't believe you think I'm the one who's going to get us in trouble."**

My stomach suddenly rumbled. "Pyro! Make me some food! I'm hungry," I complained.

Christian raised an eyebrow. "Or not..." he replied.

I frowned, and then turned to Dimitri. "Hey Comrade..." I batted my eyelashes at him.

He sighed, and then got up. "Alright, I'll make dinner."

I sprang up, wrapping my arms around him. "Thanks Comrade! You're the best!" I gave him a peck on the cheek.

He chuckled as he walked into the kitchen.

While he was making dinner, everybody began talking, discussing what was happening in the book, and catching up on things. I quietly snuck off to the kitchen, needing to talk to Dimitri.

I sat on the kitchen counter, watching Dimitri move around.

"Watcha making, Comrade?" I asked.

"Pea soup," he replied, a slight smile on his face.

"Ooh, sounds good." I took a deep breath, smelling the cooking food.

We were both quiet for a few minutes as I thought.

"I missed you," I finally spoke.

"I missed you too, Roza," he said softly.

"Have you, you know, gotten better?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You make it sound like I had a disease."

I shrugged. He sighed.

"Yes. I - it took a while. It was...really bad. But, well, after thinking, and many sleepless nights, I realized I'm just wallowing in self-pity. I needed to stand up and take it like a man. So, I- I went up to the family, or, well, I found the family. And I talked to them. I apologized for what I did, and I let them take all their anger and pain out on me. We all ended up crying. Talking really helped. And...Alberta really helped too. She was my therapist. She really helped me move on and heal." Dimitri took a deep breath after he finished.

I was a bit awestruck. Not only was this the most I have ever heard him talking about himself that didn't involve his love for me, but he hardly ever let it all out. He really was changed, and in a good way.

"Wow," I breathed.

He chuckled. "I pour my heart out, and all you can say is wow?" he teased.

"Well -" I struggled. "It's just, well, I - um, that's the most -"

His laughter interrupted my stuttering. "I understand, Roza. Don't hurt yourself. I feel...free now. I feel good. Like a hundred pounds was taken off of me. Especially now that you are here. Oh, and Xavier too, of course." He smiled.

I grinned back. "Welcome back."

He laughed again. "You're doing that a lot," I observed.

He looked at me inquiringly. "What?"

"Laughing," I said.

"Oh. That's probably because I haven't had much of anything to laugh about in the last year, and I'm so, so happy to see you, that I'm just letting it all out." Dimitri walked over to me, standing in front of me.

"So where does this leave us?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He shrugged, putting his hands on my waist, holding me to him lightly. "I think we should just take this slowly. Really get to know each other. Both you and I changed over the last year. So let's just get to know each other, and not rush things. After all, we have the rest of forever to be together." Dimitri kissed me lightly on the nose, and then moved away, back to the stove. I felt a goofy smile spread across my lips. We were going to be a family.

Dimitri served dinner in the living room, so we could read while eating.

Before I could eat, however, Xavier started fussing. Dimitri picked him up and checked his diaper, then got up, I'm assuming to change him. I started to stand up to follow him out, but after a moment's thought, I decided against it. They needed father-son bonding time.

When Dimitri came back out, his face was glowing with happiness. I felt my own light up in response. Wordlessly, Dimitri handed Xavier to me, and grabbed the blanket, covering me. After feeding and burping Xavier, I put him back down, so I could eat.

**Smiling as we strolled toward class, I gave her a sidelong glance. "Aaron does look pretty good though, huh?"**

Pyro raised an eyebrow. "Are you _sure _you don't like Aaron?"

I rolled my eyes, but didn't answer since my mouth was full.

**She smiled back and avoided my eyes. "Yeah. Pretty good."**

**"Ooh. You see? You should go after him."**

**"Whatever. I'm fine being friends now."**

**"Friends who used to stick their tongues down each other's throats."**

Mia grimaced. "Oh, God, the mental images!" she groaned.

I snorted. "At least you didn't have to live all her moments with Pyro! I did. Damn bond," I muttered at the end.

Lissa's eyes widened. "Wait! Does that mean that all my moments with Chris are going to be in the books too?" she asked, horrified.

I shrugged. "Probably. At least the ones I witnessed."

She groaned, and Jill began again.

**She rolled her eyes.**

**"Fine." I let my teasing go. "Let Aaron stay in the nursery school. Just so long as you stay away from Christian. He's dangerous."**

**"You're overreacting. He's not going Strigoi."**

"Thanks for having faith in me," Pyro said, kissing her on lips.

**"He's a bad influence."**

Pyro rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure you're the bad influence," he said.

I shook my head. "No, I'm the good influence. You're the bad. You took all her innocence away."

Pyro raised his eyebrow _again. _"Does that mean Dimitri is a bad influence on you?"

"No! He's a good influence on me! He taught me control," I said defiantly.

Christian snorted. "Yeah, and the proof is there in your son."

I scowled, but before I could reply, Dimitri put a spoonful of soup in my mouth.

I ate it, almost choking. "Hey! What gives?" I cried out, staring at him.

He chuckled. "Sshh, I want to get through this chapter."

**She laughed. "You think I'm in danger of going Strigoi?"**

**She didn't wait for my answer, instead pushing ahead to open the door to our science class. Standing there, I uneasily replayed her words and then followed a moment later. When I did, I got to see royal power in action. A few guys—with giggling, watching girls—were messing with a gangly-looking Moroi. I didn't know him very well, but I knew he was poor and certainly not royal. A couple of his tormentors were air-magic users, and they'd blown the papers off his desk and were pushing them around the room on currents of air while the guy tried to catch them.**

**My instincts urged me to do something, maybe go smack one of the air users. But I couldn't pick a fight with everyone who annoyed me, and certainly not a group of royals—especially when Lissa needed to stay off their radar. So I could only give them a look of disgust as I walked to my desk. As I did, a hand caught my arm. Jesse.**

Dimitri let out a slight growled. "Get your paws off of her," he muttered, glaring at the book. I held back a chuckle.

**"Hey," I said jokingly. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be participating in the torture session. "Hands off the merchandise."**

**He flashed me a smile but kept his hand on me. **

Abe's eyes narrowed. "He better get that hand off of you before he no longer has it attached to his body," he hissed.

**"Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Ms. Karp's class."**

**I cocked my head toward him, giving him a playful smile. "I started a lot of fights in her class."**

Sonya rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know," she said, looking at me almost disapprovingly, but with humor in her eyes

I winced. "Sorry, Sonya," I said innocently.

She waved it off. "It's in the past now, don't worry about it."

**"The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil."**

**I laughed, recalling it. "Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think. I just dropped it into the crab's tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at it."**

**Paul, a guy sitting nearby whom I didn't really know, chuckled too. He'd transferred last year, apparently, and hadn't heard of this. "Who won?"**

**I looked at Jesse quizzically. "I don't remember. Do you?"**

**"No. I just remember Karp freaking out." He turned toward Paul. "Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn't make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep."**

Mikhail glared. "What right does he have in saying anything like that?" he snapped.

Sonya put a comforting hand on his knee. "It's in the past Mikhail. I wasn't myself then."

He continued grumbling under his breath as Jill read on.

**I smiled tightly, like I thought it was funny. Instead, I thought back to Ms. Karp again, surprised to be thinking about her for the second time in two days. Jesse was right—she had wandered campus a lot when she still worked here. It was pretty creepy. I'd run into her once—unexpectedly.**

**I'd been climbing out of my dorm window to go hang out with some people. It was after hours, and we were all supposed to be in our rooms, fast asleep. Such escape tactics were a regular practice for me. I was good at them.**

Mom frowned disapprovingly.

**But I fell that time. I had a second-floor room, and I lost my grip about halfway down.**

"Oh, yeah, you were really good at it." Christian rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. It was that one time," I protested.

**Sensing the ground rush up toward me, I tried desperately to grab hold of something and slow my fall. The building's rough stone tore into my skin, causing cuts I was too preoccupied to feel. I slammed into the grassy earth, back first, getting the wind knocked out of me.**

Lissa frowned. "How come I don't remember seeing you injured?" she asked.

I held up a finger. "You'll see in a moment." I exchanged a knowing look with Sonya.

**"Bad form, Rosemarie. You should be more careful. Your instructors would be disappointed."**

**Peering through the tangle of my hair, I saw Ms. Karp looking down at me, a bemused look on her face. Pain, in the meantime, shot through every part of my body.**

**Ignoring it as best I could, I clambered to my feet. Being in class with Crazy Karp while surrounded by other students was one thing. Standing outside alone with her was an entirely different matter. She always had an eerie, distracted gleam in her eye that made my skin break out in goose bumps.**

I winced. "I'm sorry. I know it was spirit now."

She waved it off again.

**There was also now a high likelihood she'd drag me off to Kirova for a detention. Scarier still.**

**Instead, she just smiled and reached for my hands. I flinched but let her take them. She tsked when she saw the scrapes. Tightening her grip on them, she frowned slightly. A tingle burned my skin, laced with a sort of pleasant buzz, and then the wounds closed up. I had a brief sense of dizziness. My temperature spiked. The blood disappeared, as did the pain in my hip and leg.**

Lissa's eyes widened. "She healed you!"

Sonya nodded. "Yes. The call of spirit is very strong."

Lissa nodded seriously. "I know."

**Gasping, I jerked my hands away. I'd seen a lot of Moroi magic, but never anything like that.**

**"What…what did you do?"**

"Healed you of course," Adrian said.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't deign that with a reply.

**She gave me that weird smile again. "Go back to your dorm, Rose. There are bad things out here. You never know what's following you."**

**I was still staring at my hands. "But…"**

**I looked back up at her and for the first time noticed scars on the sides of her forehead. Like nails had dug into them. She winked. "I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me."**

There was a moment of silence.

"That..." Mia began.

"...was really weird," Jill finished, them glanced at Sonya. "No offence."

"None taken. Even I find it weird, and it was me," Sonya chuckled.

The silence began again as everyone digested the events. The Jill started reading again, breaking the tense atmosphere.

**I jumped back to the present, unsettled by the memory of that bizarre night. Jesse, in the meantime, was telling me about a party.**

**"You've got to slip your leash tonight. We're going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed."**

Mom's eyes narrowed. "You better not have," she muttered.

**I sighed wistfully, regret replacing the chill I'd felt over the memory of Ms. Karp. "Can't slip that leash. I'm with my Russian jailer."**

I looked up at Dimitri through me eyelashes. "You can hold me hostage any time you want," I purred. He froze, his guardian mask slamming on.

Viktoria pretended to gag. "Come on!" She whined. "That's my brother! I don't want to hear about your sex life."

I wasn't listening to what she was saying, though. I was watching Dimitri's reaction. At first, I didn't understand it, and then it hit me like a train.

"Dimitri, I'm sorry," I said softly, getting up and giving him a hug.

He chuckled tiredly. "Should I be the one apologizing?" He mumbled into my shoulder.

I stroked his hair. "No, cause I'm the one who thoughtlessly brought it up," I replied.

He let out a big sigh, pulling away from me. "It's alright Rose. It just makes me sad," he whispered.

I nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry," I repeated in a small voice.

"It's fine Roza," he reassured me, cupping my cheek with his hand. I turned my head to the side and gave his hand a kiss.

"Be all right," I murmured, kissing his forehead before pulling away and going back to my seat.

"Go on," I told Jill.

**He let go of my arm, looking disappointed, and ran a hand through his bronze-colored hair. Yeah. Not being able to hang out with him was a damned shame. I really would have to fix that someday. **

Abe's eyes narrowed. "You better not have," he threatened.

I pressed my lips together, avoiding his eyes. "Rose..."

**"Can't you ever get off for good behavior?" he joked.**

**I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile as I found my seat. "Sure," I called over my shoulder. "If I was ever good."**

"Ain't that the truth," Adrian muttered under his breath. I ignored him.

I yawned as Jill gave Alberta the book. "I'm tired," I said, yawning again. "Let's go to bed after this chapter."

Most of the people in room nodded, looking tired and worn out themselves.

Alberta began, "Chapter 6..."

A/N: **We'd like to know what chapter you'd want to see Rose and Dimitri get back together officially. Leave your answer in the review section please. **So here was chapter six for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it! Me and Tatiana Belikova would like to thank everyone who read our story. Shout out to those who reviewed: Tatiana Belikova, Alto, twivampacademyfan, our favorite anon Comrade, RosenDimitriforever40333, the guest signed Roza B., and our other three anonymous guests. We hope you stay up to date on our story.


	8. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

* * *

**AS MUCH AS LISSA AND Christian's meeting bothered me, it gave me an idea the next day.**

**"Hey, Kirova—er, Ms. Kirova." I stood in the doorway of her office, not having bothered to make an appointment. She raised her eyes from some paperwork, clearly annoyed to see me.**

**"Yes, Miss Hathaway?"**

**"Does my house arrest mean I can't go to church?"**

"Church? I thought you didn't like church?" Sydney said confused.

"Shut up and you'll see," I replied.

**"I beg your pardon?"**

**"You said that whenever I'm not in class or practice, I have to stay in the dorm. But what about church on Sundays? I don't think it's really fair to keep me away from my religious…um, needs." Or deprive me of another chance— no matter how short and boring—to hang out with Lissa.**

"Rose! Using church as an excuse to see Vasilisa, you'll go to hell doing things like that." Sydney screeched.

"It's Lissa, and I thought all evil creatures of the night went to hell?" I said sarcastically as Christian and Eddie snickered.

Sydney glared at me, "Whatever! Rose, you know that's not how I think of you... anymore."

"Since when?" I asked as she stared at me.

"Is that a real question or are you just stupid?" Sydney retorted as Adrian bust into laughs. I glared at him.

"I believe stupid is the answer," he replied.

"Adrian! SHHHHHHH!" Lissa yelled at him.

"Thanks Liss, and I honestly don't know the answer Syd," I said.

"Oh, well. I haven't thought that since I met you. Don't get all big headed though. You just helped me see clearly about some things." She returned.

**She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I wasn't aware you had any religious needs."**

**"I found Jesus while I was gone."**

**"Isn't your mother an atheist?" she asked skeptically.**

**"And my dad's probably Muslim. **

"Actually I'm a Christian," Abe remarked while we stared at him wide eyed.

"What?" I screamed.

"You heard me," he retorted.

"Yeah, but I think I heard wrong. Since when do Christians deal in the criminal world?" I asked comically.

"Your lifestyle doesn't have to pertain to your beliefs _little girl,_" he remarked.

"Call me little girl one more time _old man_!" I exclaimed.

"Little girl," he said snidely.

"Old man," I returned.

"Little girl," he shot back.

"Old man," I replied.

"Little gir-" he said before getting cut off by my mom.

"Will you both shut the hell up! I'm tired and I'd like to get out of here before I die." She said angrily.

**But I've moved on to my own path. You shouldn't keep me from it."**

**She made a noise that sort of sounded like a snicker. "No, Miss Hathaway, I should not. Very well. You may attend services on Sundays."**

"Victory!" I yelled jumping off the couch. My mother gave me a pointed look as I sat back down quietly.

**The victory was short-lived, however, because church was every bit as lame as I remembered when I attended a few days later. **

"Church is not boring!" Lissa and Sydney said in unison.

"Maybe to you," Christian muttered.

"Agreed," I said rolling my eyes at the two girls.

"You both have no shame!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Damn right," I replied happily.

**I did get to sit next to Lissa, though, which made me feel like I was getting away with something. Mostly I just people-watched. Church was optional for students, but with so many Eastern European families, a lot of students were Eastern Orthodox Christians and attended either because they believed or because their parents made them.**

**Christian sat on the opposite side of the aisle, pretending to be just as holy as he'd said. As much as I didn't like him, his fake faith still made me smile.**

"Getting a rise out of checking me out huh?" Christian said arrogantly.

"You wish Sparky," I replied.

"Do not." He said.

"Do too," I returned.

"Do not," he answered.

"Will both of you just shut the hell up!" My mother yelled.

"NO!" We replied simultaneously.

"Hey! Don't talk to my mother like Fire Crotch!" I yelled at him.

"You said it too," he replied.

"Yeah, but she's _my_ mother. I can talk to her however I want!" I retorted.

"Can not." He shot back.

"Can too," I yelled.

"How about you shut up?" He said.

"How about you?" I said snarkily as Alberta cut us off and continued to read.

**Dimitri sat in the back, **

"Do you always notice my brother?" Vika asked.

"Yes, unconsciously though." I replied.

**face lined with shadows, and, like me, didn't take communion. As thoughtful as he looked, I wondered if he even listened to the service. I tuned in and out.**

**"Following God's path is never easy," the priest was saying. "Even St. Vladimir, this school's own patron saint, had a difficult time. He was so filled with spirit that people often flocked around him, enthralled just to listen and be in his presence. So great was his spirit, the old texts say, that he could heal the sick. Yet despite these gifts, many did not respect him. They mocked him, claiming he was misguided and confused."**

"Right there, it was right there all along." I said.

"Sh!" my mother said.

**Which was a nice way of saying Vladimir was insane. **

"No, it was the darkness." Sonya said smugly.

**Everyone knew it. He was one of a handful of Moroi saints, so the priest liked to talk about him a lot. I'd heard all about him, many times over, before we left. Great. It looked like I had an eternity of Sundays to hear his story over and over again.**

**"…and so it was with shadow-kissed Anna."**

**I jerked my head up. I had no idea what the priest was talking about now, because I hadn't been listening for some time.**

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Adrian muttered.

**But those words burned into me. Shadow-kissed.**

"Maybe because that's what you are, idiot." Christian said snidely.

"You wanna repeat that last word again Sparkles?" I said rudely.

"Maybe I do, but I'd rather you shut up." He returned.

"How about we make a deal, I'll flip a coin and which ever one of us loses shuts up okay?" I asked nicely.

"Okay," Christian replied.

"Heads I win, tails you lose," I said as I flipped the coin. "Heads! I win! Now SHUT UP!"

"Hey! Wait! That's-" He retorted as I cut him off.

"Sh!" I shot back.

"But-" He whined.

"SH!" I said harshly.

"That's-" He cried out.

"Sh! I've got a whole bag of _sh_ for you right here!" I remarked angrily, as I narrowed my eyes daring him to say another word. When I was certain he would shut up I turned to Alberta, "You may continue."

**It had been a while since I heard them, but I'd never forgotten them. I waited, hoping he'd continue, but he'd already moved on to the next part of the service. The sermon was over.**

**Church concluded, and as Lissa turned to go, I shook my head at her. "Wait for me. I'll be right there."**

**I pushed my way through the crowd, up to the front, where the priest was speaking with a few people. I waited impatiently while he finished. Natalie was there, asking him about volunteer work she could do. Ugh. When she finished, she left, greeting me as she passed.**

**The priest raised his eyebrows when he saw me. "Hello, Rose. It's nice to see you again."**

"He's probably the only adult on campus who can say that sincerely," Alberta said.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Dimitri could say that too."

Alberta raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but he loves you," she deadpanned.

I frowned.

**"Yeah…you too," I said. "I heard you talking about Anna. About how she was 'shadow-kissed.' What does that mean?"**

**He frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. She lived a very long time ago. It was often common to refer to people by titles that reflected some of their traits. It might have been given to make her sound fierce."**

**I tried to hide my disappointment. "Oh. So who was she?"**

"Bad form Rosemarie," my mother scolded. "You practically told the priest that you didn't listen to his sermon."

"Rose, mother. My name is Rose." I replied snidely.

**This time his frown was disapproving rather than thoughtful. "I mentioned it a number of times."**

**"Oh. I must have, um, missed that."**

**His disapproval grew, and he turned around. "Wait just a moment."**

**He disappeared through the door near the altar, the one Lissa had taken to the attic. I considered fleeing but thought God might strike me down for that. Less than a minute later, the priest returned with a book. He handed it to me. Moroi Saints.**

**"You can learn about her in here. The next time I see you, I'd like to hear what you've learned."**

"Great, homework from the priest." Jill whined as Alberta snickered.

**I scowled as I walked away. Great. Homework from the priest.**

Jill laughed and said, "Great minds think alike."

"Yup," I returned popping the 'p'.

**In the chapel's entry way, I found Lissa talking to Aaron. She smiled as she spoke, and the feelings coming off her were happy, though certainly not infatuated.**

**"You're kidding," she exclaimed.**

**He shook his head. "Nope."**

**Seeing me stroll over, she turned to me. "Rose, you're never going to believe this. "You know Abby Badica? And Xander? Their guardian wants to resign. And marry another guardian."**

**Now this was exciting gossip. A scandal, actually.**

Dimitri looked at me disapprovingly.

**"Seriously? Are they, like, going to run off together?"**

**She nodded. "They're getting a house. Going to get jobs with humans, I guess."**

**I glanced at Aaron, who had suddenly turned shy with me there. "How are Abby and Xander dealing with that?"**

**"Okay. Embarrassed. They think it's stupid." Then he realized who he was speaking to. "Oh. I didn't mean—"**

"Yes he did, he meant _exactly_ what he said," Mia remarked.

"And how would you know?" I inquired.

"He told me," she said with a huge grin on her face.

I growled, next time I see Aaron...

**"Whatever." I gave him a tight smile. "It is stupid."**

**Wow. I was stunned. The rebellious part me of loved any story where people "fought the system."**

"Only you Rose, only you." Eddie said jokingly.

**Only, in this case, they were fighting my system, the one I'd been trained to believe in my entire life.**

"Bring on the explanation," Christian quipped as I glared at him.

**Dhampirs and Moroi had a strange arrangement. Dhampirs had originally been born from Moroi mixing with humans. Unfortunately, dhampirs couldn't reproduce with each other**

"How did that happen anyway?" asked Abe.

"I'm sure you'll realize it when we read whatever is in these books," I replied.

"But Rose, we know already why not just tell him?" Sydney complained.

"Because, I want to find out how smart the people in this room are." I said as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

—**or with humans. It was a weird genetic thing. Mules were the same way, I'd been told, though that wasn't a comparison I really liked hearing. **

"Neither do I," Eddie, Mikhail, Viktoria, Dimitri, my mom, and Alberta said simultaneously. Everyone else stared at them for a minute then laughed.

**Dhampirs and full Moroi could have children together**

"I didn't know there were half moroi. Oh, wait they're called dhampirs. Was there even a need for you to say full moroi?" Christian said.

"Are you calling me an idiot?" I asked.

"No, I'm calling you an idoit." he said sarcastically as I jumped up to slap him.

"Rose!" Lissa shrieked.

"Lissa," I yelled back.

"Christian." She demanded.

"But Lissa," he whined.

"Christian," she said firmly.

"Fine," he replied pouting. "Sorry for calling you an idiot Rose..."

"Thank you," I said smiling.

"...even though it's true." he mumbled under his breath.

"Says Jack Sparkleton," I retorted amusingly.

**and, through another genetic oddity, their kids came out as standard dhampirs, with half human genes, half vampire genes.**

**With Moroi being the only ones with whom dhampirs could reproduce,**

"Until me and Dimitri," I said to myself.

**we had to stay close to them and intermingle with them. Likewise, it became important to us that the Moroi simply survived. Without them, we were done. And with the way Strigoi loved picking off Moroi, their survival became a legitimate concern for us.**

**That was how the guardian system developed. Dhampirs couldn't work magic, but we made great warriors. We'd inherited enhanced senses and reflexes from our vampire genes and better strength and endurance from our human genes. We also weren't limited by a need for blood or trouble with sunlight. Sure, we weren't as powerful as the Strigoi, but we trained hard, and guardians did a kick-ass job at keeping Moroi safe. Most dhampirs felt it was worth risking their own lives to make sure our kind could still keep having children.**

**Since Moroi usually wanted to have and raise Moroi children, you didn't find a lot of long-term Moroi-dhampir romances.**

"What about us?" Mikhail said gesturing to Sonya.

"Us too," my father said motioning to my mom.

"And Oksana and Mark, blah blah blah. This book is the past, not the present. My views have changed on a lot of things but you have to admit, it's still not that common to find Moroi-dhampir relationships let alone Dhampir-dhampir ones," I answered.

**You especially didn't find a lot of Moroi women hooking up with dhampir guys. But plenty of young Moroi men liked fooling around with dhampir women, although those guys usually went on to marry Moroi women. That left a lot of single dhampir mothers, but we were tough and could handle it.**

"Foreshadowing," Abe said with a raised brow.

"Not really. I wasn't referring to just the dhampir mothers, I was referring to dhampir women as a whole." I stated.

**However, many dhampir mothers chose not to become guardians in order to raise their children. These women sometimes worked "regular" jobs with Moroi or humans; some of them lived together in communities. These communities had a bad reputation. I don't know how much of it was true, **

"Almost none of it," Vika and I said in unison then smiled.

**but rumors said Moroi men visited all the time for sex. and that some dhampir women let them drink blood while doing it. Blood whores.**

I shivered as Dimitri stiffened then I grabbed his hand.

"It's okay Comrade, that wasn't you. It _wasn't_ you." I whispered to him while rubbing soft circles on his hands. He just smiled weakly at me and lowered his head. I was about to say something but Vika grabbed my hand and shook her head.

"Just leave him," she said.

"But-" I replied.

"Trust me, he needs to stop feeling guilty. He already forgave himself but the guilt will live on if you continue to coddle him. Let him realize he has nothing to feel guilty for, if not for himself then for you and Xavier. Do you really want him to feel guilty the rest of his life?" She said a little harshly.

"No," I said calmly then clamped my mouth shut before I said something we _both_ would regret.

**Regardless, almost all guardians were men, which meant there were a lot more Moroi than guardians. Most dhampir guys accepted that they wouldn't have kids. They knew it was their job to protect Moroi while their sisters and cousins had babies.**

**Some dhampir women, like my mother, still felt it was their duty to become guardians—even if it meant not raising their own kids. **

My mom flinched.

**After I'd been born, she'd handed me over to be raised by Moroi. **

"I'm so sorry," my mother said with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, I would have done the same thing." I told her as my dad rubbed her back.

"But you're not," she cried out. "You're taking care of your baby like a good mother! Even though the father didn't know he existed until today! I could have had Abe help me, but I denied both of you that! I'm a terrible person, and a horrible mother!" She broke down in tears.

I went over to her and put my arms around her, hugging her tight. "It's alright Mom. Both of us understand why you did what you did. I love you. Everything is forgiven now. It's all right." I continued soothing her until she was finally calm.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you Rosie."

"I love you too, Mom," I murmured.

After making sure she was okay, I went back to my seat.

**Moroi and dhampirs start school pretty young, and the Academy had essentially taken over as my parent by the time I was four.**

**Between her example and my life at the Academy, I believed wholeheartedly that it was a dhampir's job to protect Moroi. It was part of our heritage, and it was the only way we'd keep going. It was that simple.**

**And that was what made what the Badicas' guardian had done so shocking. He'd abandoned his Moroi and run off with another guardian, which meant she'd abandoned her Moroi. **

"I would never do that," I said smugly.

"But you already did," Lissa said nonchalantly as my smile dropped into a frown.

"Lissa!" Jill screeched.

"What?" She said then her eyes bulged out, "Oh my god. I said that out loud didn't I? I'm so sorry Rose."

"Whatever, you're right. But it was something I had to do," I replied.

"No you didn't," she said.

"Yes. I. Did!" I screamed. "Why am I even talking to you about this. You wouldn't understand."

"Yes I would," she answered.

"No, you wouldn't your Majesty. None of you would, except for me." Replied Mikhail.

"And why is that?" she asked.

"Because I also abandoned my duties to set out and kill the person I love. I thank God everyday that I never got the chance, and I'm sure Rose does too." He stated proudly.

"Why would you try to kill the person you love?" she said quietly while me and Mikhail shared a look.

"And that my friend, is why you wouldn't understand. Now can we please finish this chapter. I'm getting really tired." I said slightly irritated.

**They couldn't even have children together, and now two families were unprotected. What was the point? No one cared if teenage dhampirs dated or if adult dhampirs had flings. But a long-term relationship? Particularly one that involved them running away? A complete waste. And a disgrace.**

"Glad that I never had to worry about that with Dimitri, he's one of the only people besides Eddie and my mom I know that takes their duty as seriously as I do. No offense Mikhail and Vika." I said.

"None taken," they replied.

**After a little more speculation on the Badicas, Lissa and I left Aaron. As we stepped outside, I heard a funny shifting sound and then something sliding. Too late, I realized what was happening, just as a pile of slush slid off the chapel's roof and onto us. It was early October, and we'd had early snow last night that had started melting almost immediately. As a result, the stuff that fell on us was very wet and very cold.**

"Thanks a lot," I mumbled under my breath glaring at Mia.

**Lissa took the brunt of it, but I still yelped as icy water landed on my hair and neck. A few others squealed nearby too, having caught the edge of the mini-avalanche.**

**"You okay?" I asked her. Her coat was drenched, and her platinum hair clung to the sides of her face.**

**"Y-yeah," she said through chattering teeth.**

**I pulled off my coat and handed it to her. It had a slick surface and had repelled most of the water. "Take yours off."**

**"But you'll be—"**

**"Take this."**

"You were very dedicated to Lissa," my mom said.

"Still am," I returned.

**She did, and as she slipped on my coat, I finally tuned into the laughter that always follows these situations. I avoided the eyes, instead focusing on holding Lissa's wet jacket while she changed.**

**"Wish you hadn't been wearing a coat, Rose," said Ralf Sarcozy an unusually bulky and plump Moroi. I hated him.**

"Rose, you hate everybody." Alberta remarked.

I shrugged, "What can I say?"

**"That shirt would have looked good wet."**

"I'd have to agree," Dimitri murmured huskily in my ear. I giggled.

Abe glared at us, but didn't say anything.

**"That shirt's so ugly it should be burned. Did you get that from a homeless person?"**

"Ouch," Christian said.

"Burn," Eddie laughed.

**I glanced up as Mia walked over and looped her arm through Aaron's. Her blond curls were arranged perfectly,**

"Thanks Rose," Mia said smiling.

**and she had on an awesome pair of black heels**

"Another compliment, that day must have been a lucky one." She quipped now grinning like an idiot.

**that would have looked much better on me. **

"Really Rose? How cocky are you" Mia remarked glaring at me.

"Very," I returned, giving Dimitri a smoldering look. He visibly gulped.

**At least they made her look taller, I'd give her that.**

"HEY! I am not that short." Mia whined.

"Actually, you are." Eddie replied.

Mia glared at him playfully then said, "Well if over here thinks it, then I'm fine with it."

Eddie blushed and I saw Jill moved away from him on the couch._ Hmmm,_ I thought,_ I wonder what that was about._

**Aaron had been a few steps behind us but had miraculously avoided being nailed by the slush. Seeing how smug she looked, I decided there'd been no miracles involved.**

"You're right, there weren't." Mia said sharply.

**"I suppose you want to offer to burn it, huh?" I asked, refusing to let her know how much that insult bugged me. **

"Well I know now," Mia remarked smiling deviously.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Do that again, and the fantasy I had will come true."

Mia looked confused. "What fantasy?"

I smirked. "Listen a little longer, and you'll see."

Mia gulped.

**I knew perfectly well my fashion sense had slipped over the last two years. "Oh, wait—fire isn't your element, is it? You work with water. What a coincidence that a bunch just fell on us."**

"No coincidences there." Eddie joked.

**Mia looked as if she'd been insulted, but the gleam in her eyes showed that she was enjoying this way too much to be an innocent bystander. "What's that supposed to mean?"**

**"Nothing to me. But Ms. Kirova will probably have something to say when she finds out you used magic against another student."**

"Highly unlikely," Alberta said. "You would have needed proof, besides Headmistress Kirova probably wouldn't have believed you anyway."

"Ya think?" I replied sarcastically.

**"That wasn't an attack," she scoffed. "And it wasn't me. It was an act of God."**

"The hell it was," Lissa mumbled under her breath and I gave her a confused look.

_Liss what was that? You hardly ever swear._ I asked her through the bond.

_Nothing, just a little tired and irritated._ She replied.

I looked through the bond, everything seemed to be alright. She was just very sleepy after pulling an all nighter so she had time to read these books.

"Liss, after this chapter go directly to bed. I swear if I even feel a hint of anything sex related through the bond I'll chop off Christians ball and feed them to you. Understand?" I said a little harshly while Christian and Lissa paled.

"Yes," she answered nodding her head.

**A few others laughed, much to her delight. In my imagination, I responded with, So is this, and then slammed her into the side of the church. **

"Oh," Mia said quietly, looking terrified.

I gave her a nod.

"Rose!" My mother chastised.

"It says in my imagination _MOTHER_, let it go." I replied snidely.

"I'm glad you didn't do that," Mia said with a thankful look on her face.

**In real life, Lissa simply nudged me and said, "Let's go."**

"Lissa to the rescue, Mia I believe you owe Lissa a thank you. God knows what Rose would have done if Lissa hadn't said that," Christian said.

"Thanks Liss and I don't wanna know," Mia said grinning at Liss and frowning at Chris.

"Uhmm, excuse me were you guys just listening? It said what I would've done. You are both dumbasses." I replied rolling my eyes as they glared at me.

**She and I walked off toward our respective dorms, leaving behind laughter and jokes about our wet states and how Lissa wouldn't know anything about specialization. Inside, I seethed. I had to do something about Mia, I realized. In addition to the general irritation of Mia's bitchiness, I didn't want Lissa to have to deal with any more stress than she had to. We'd been okay this first week, and I wanted to keep it that way.**

**"You know," I said, "I'm thinking more and more that you stealing Aaron back is a good thing.**

"So it was your idea," Mia complained looking at me.

**It'll teach Bitch Doll a lesson.**

"Bitch doll?" Mia said glaring at me intensely.

I shrugged. "You called me worse - and to my face," I replied.

**I bet it'd be easy, too. He's still crazy about you."**

**"I don't want to teach anyone a lesson," said Lissa. "And I'm not crazy about him."**

**"Come on, she picks fights and talks about us behind our backs. She accused me of getting jeans from the Salvation Army yesterday."**

**"Your jeans are from the Salvation Army."**

**"Well, yeah," I snorted, "but she has no right making fun of them when she's wearing stuff from Target."**

**"Hey, there's nothing wrong with Target. I like Target."**

**"So do I. That's not the point. She's trying to pass her stuff off like it's freaking Stella McCartney."**

**"And that's a crime?"**

**I affected a solemn face. "Absolutely. You've gotta take revenge."**

"Is everything about revenge to you?" My mother said shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Yup," My father and I replied in unison.

"Like father, like daughter." He said.

**"I told you, I'm not interested in revenge." Lissa cut me a sidelong look. "And you shouldn't be either."**

"Glad one of you has some sense," Sonya commented.

**I smiled as innocently as I could, and when we parted ways, I felt relieved again that she couldn't read my thoughts.**

**"So when's the big catfight going to happen?"**

"Mason," Eddie said matter-of-factly and I just nodded my head.

**Mason was waiting for me outside our dorm after I'd parted ways with Lissa. He looked lazy and cute, leaning against the wall with crossed arms as he watched me.**

**"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."**

**He unfolded himself and walked with me into the building, handing me his coat,**

"Always the gentleman," I said amusingly.

**since I'd let Lissa go off with my dry one. "I saw you guys sparring outside the chapel. Have you no respect for the house of God?"**

**I snorted. "You've got about as much respect for it as I do, you heathen. You didn't even go. Besides, as you said, we were outside."**

Eddie chuckled.

**"And you still didn't answer the question."**

**I just grinned and slipped on his coat.**

**We stood in the common area of our dorm, a well-supervised lounge and study area where male and female students could mingle, along with Moroi guests. Being Sunday, it was pretty crowded with those cramming for last-minute assignments due tomorrow. Spying a small, empty table, I grabbed Mason's arm and pulled him toward it.**

"Aren't you supposed to go straight to your room?" my mom asked.

**"Aren't you supposed to go straight to your room?"**

Mom's eyes widened. "Wow. That's odd," she commented.

Eddie smirked. "You think like Mason. What's the worlding coming to?

**I hunkered down in my seat, glancing around warily. "There are so many people here today, it'll take them a while to notice me. God, I'm so sick of being locked away. And it's only been a week."**

**"I'm sick of it too. We missed you last night. A bunch of us went and shot pool in the rec room. Eddie was on fire."**

"That I was," Eddie commented.

**I groaned. "Don't tell me that. I don't want to hear about your glamorous social life."**

**"All right." He propped his elbow up on the table and rested his chin in his hand. "Then tell me about Mia. You're just going to turn around and punch her one day, aren't you?**

"Yes," Mia said sadly while touching her nose.

"I would apologize for that, but you kind of deserved it," I said.

Mia sighed. "Yeah, I guess I did," she conceded.

**I think I remember you doing that at least ten times with people that pissed you off."**

**"I'm a new, reformed Rose," I said, doing my best impression of demure. Which wasn't very good. He emitted a choking sort of laugh. "Besides, if I do that, I'll have broken my probation with Kirova. Gotta walk the straight and narrow."**

**"In other words, find some way to get back at Mia that you won't get in trouble for."**

"Yep." I said smirking.

**I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips. "You know what I like about you, Mase? You think just like I do."**

**"Frightening concept," he replied drily. "So tell me what you think of this: I might know something about her, but I probably shouldn't tell you … "**

Mia's eyes widen, "He's the one that told you?"

I grinned and nodded my head enthusiastically.

**I leaned forward. "Oh, you already tipped me off. You've got to tell me now."**

**"It'd be wrong," he teased. "How do I know you'd use this knowledge for good instead of evil?"**

"This _is_ Rose we're talking about here," said Christian.

**I batted my eyelashes. "Can you resist this face?"**

"No one can," Dimitri said.

I gave him my man-eater smile. "Good to know Comrade."

**He took a moment to study me. "No. I can't, actually. Okay, here you go: Mia isn't royal."**

Everyone in the room snorted.

**I slouched back in my chair. "No kidding. I already knew that. I've known who's royal since I was two."**

**"Yeah, but there's more than just that. Her parents work for one of the Drozdov lords." I waved my hand impatiently. A lot of Moroi worked out in the human world, but Moroi society had plenty of jobs for its own kind too. Someone had to fill them. "Cleaning stuff. Practically servants. Her dad cuts grass, and her mom's a maid."**

**I actually had a healthy respect for anyone who pulled a full day's work, regardless of the job. **

"Who would have known you respected someone," my mother said inquisitively.

"I respect people. Namely Alberta, Dimitri, you... in the Guardian sense." I snapped back.

**People everywhere had to do crappy stuff to make a living. But, much like with Target, it became another matter altogether when someone was trying to pass herself off as something else. And in the week that I'd been here, I'd picked up on how desperately Mia wanted to fit in with the school elite.**

**"No one knows," I said thoughtfully.**

**"And she doesn't want them to. You know how the royals are." He paused. "Well, except for Lissa, of course.**

"Thanks Mason," she said cheerily.

**They'd give Mia a hard time over it."**

**"How do you know all this?"**

**"My uncle's a guardian for the Drozdovs."**

**"And you've just been sitting on this secret, huh?"**

**"Until you broke me. So which path will you choose: good or evil?"**

**"I think I'll give her a grace—"**

**"Miss Hathaway, you know you aren't supposed to be here."**

"Busted!" Adrian said, it was the first time I'd heard him talk in a while. Looking at his face I think he just might remember the incident.

**One of the dorm matrons stood over us, disapproval all over her face.**

**I hadn't been joking when I said Mason thought like me. He could bullshit as well as I could.**

"Yeah, you two were like peas in the pod." Eddie remarked.

**"We have a group project to do for our humanities class. How are we supposed to do it if Rose is in isolation?"**

**The matron narrowed her eyes. "You don't look like you're doing work."**

**I slid over the priest's book and opened it at random. I'd placed it on the table when we sat down. "We're, um, working on this."**

"Yeah, uhm, sure you , uhm, are." Sydney laughed as Adrian joined her.

I raised an eyebrow at that, but shrugged it off.

**She still looked suspicious. "One hour. I'll give you one more hour down here, and I'd better actually see you working."**

**"Yes, ma'am," said Mason straight-faced. "Absolutely."**

**She wandered off, still eyeing us. "My hero," I declared.**

**He pointed at the book. "What is this?"**

**"Something the priest gave me. I had a question about the service."**

**He stared at me, astonished.**

"I would too, if I heard you say you asked about a service." Lissa quipped.

Yep, she was definitely spending WAY too much time with Christian.

**"Oh, stop it and look interested." I skimmed the index. "I'm trying to find some woman named Anna."**

**Mason slid his chair over so that he was sitting right beside me. "All right. Let's 'study.'"**

**I found a page number, and it took me to the section on St. Vladimir, not surprisingly. We read through the chapter, scanning for Anna's name. When we found it, the author didn't have much to say about her. He did include an excerpt written by some guy who had apparently lived at the same time as St. Vladimir:**

_**And with Vladimir always is Anna, the daughter of Fyodor. Their love is as chaste and pure as that of brother and sister, and many times has she defended him from Strigoi who would seek to destroy him and his holiness. Likewise, it is she who comforts him when the spirit becomes too much to bear, and Satan's darkness tries to smother him and weaken his own health and body. This too she defends against, for they have been bound together ever since he saved her life as a child. It is a sign of God's love that He has sent the blessed Vladimir a guardian such as her, one who is shadow-kissed and always knows what is in his heart and mind.**_

**"There you go," Mason said. "She was his guardian."**

"Obviously," the room chorused.

**"It doesn't say what 'shadow-kissed' means."**

**"Probably doesn't mean anything."**

**Something in me didn't believe that. I read it again, trying to make sense of the old-fashioned language. Mason watched me curiously, looking like he very much wanted to help.**

**"Maybe they were hooking up," he suggested.**

"What the hell?" Lissa exclaimed, "He was a saint!"

**I laughed. "He was a saint."**

**"So? Saints probably like sex too. That 'brother and sister' stuff is probably a cover."**

Eddie shook his head. "Only Mason."

**He pointed to one of the lines. "See? They were 'bound' together." He winked. "It's code."**

**Bound. It was a weird word choice, but that didn't necessarily mean Anna and Vladimir were ripping each other's clothes off.**

"No, it meant they were bonded." I said happily.

**"I don't think so. They're just close. Guys and girls can just be friends." I said it pointedly, and he gave me a dry look.**

**"Yeah? We're friends, and I don't know what's in your 'heart and mind.'" Mason put on a fake philosopher's look. "Of course, some might argue that one can never know what's in the heart of a woman—"**

"I can't wait for you to hit him," Eddie joked.

**"Oh, shut up," I groaned, punching him in the arm.**

Everyone laughed.

"See, I knew you would hit him!" Eddie exclaimed while laughing harder.

**"For they are strange and mysterious creatures," he continued in his scholarly voice, "and a man must be a mind reader if he ever wishes to make them happy."**

**I started giggling uncontrollably**

"Mason always knew how to make you laugh," Eddie said.

**and knew I'd probably get in trouble again. "Well, try to read my mind and stop being such a—"**

**I stopped laughing and looked back down at the book.**

**Bound together and always knows what is in his heart and mind.**

**They had a bond, I realized. **

"About time you got it," Adrian muttered.

**I would have bet everything I owned—which wasn't much—on it. The revelation was astonishing. There were lots of vague stories and myths about how guardians and Moroi 'used to have bonds.' But this was the first I'd ever heard of anyone specific that it had happened to.**

**Mason had noticed my startled reaction. "You okay? You look kind of weird."**

**I shrugged it off. "Yeah. Fine."**

"Alright, that's the end. Let's go to bed," my mother said.

"Okay," I replied, "Liss, Sparky, get your asses in bed. Mom and Dad, you're sharing a roomchoose one with a single bed. Sonya, Mikhail, you find a room with a single bed rest of the room's have two beds except Comrade and Vika, choose your room. Adrian, pick a room. Mia and Alberta, chose a room. Eddie, Jill, you got the last room. Sydney you'll sleep in my room with me. I hope you don't mind sharing the bed, it's a king."

"That's fine," she said while everyone else nodded and went to find their rooms.

As I picked up Xavier, Sydney grabbed his things and we walked to my room and settled down. Xavier started to whine so I grabbed a blanket and feed him again. Shortly after I put him to sleep and turned to Sydney who was reading a book about architecture in Greece.

"So, I saw the way you looked when Adrian grabbed your hand." I said casually.

"Ugh, don't remind me." She said grimacing. I laughed.

"Don't fake it! I know you liked it, I saw a hint of amusement in your eyes." I retorted.

"Maybe but look at the way he was talking to you earlier, I wanted to punch him." She replied.

"Look, Adrian's a good guy. I just hurt him badly, give him a chance? Please, for me. He deserves a chance and I think you might be good for him, despite the fact that you dislike evil creatures of the night." I returned. She looked at me regardingly then sighed.

"Fine, I'll try to be his friend but that's it. No evil creature boyfriends for me!" She said with a laugh.

"That's all I ask," I responded.

* * *

A/N: So, that was chapter six for all you faithful readers! I hope you liked it xD! If anyone has anything they would like us to include in the story, feel free to tell us(:

Thank you to everyone who reviewed: xX Dimka's girl 4 ever Xx, RosenDimitriforever40333, NekkaLovesChocolate, georgia D. rose, twivampacademyfan, and our two lovely Guest.


	9. Our First Kiss The Right Way

**Disclaimer: We do not own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does**

* * *

**RPOV:**

I woke up in the middle of the night to Xavier's crying. I lay in bed for a moment, then got up to quiet him down before he woke up the whole house. Quietly, I changed him, then fed him. After he finished, I rocked him back to sleep. By that point, I was wide awake and hungry. I put Xavier down in his crib, then wandered out to the kitchen.

In the dark, the kitchen look totally foreign to me, not that it was so familiar to me in the light. There was a small window above the sink, but it was covered by black out curtains. I opened them enough to make sure I didn't walk into anything, and walked over to the cupboards. I looked at them for a few moments. Where was everything? I started over to the right cupboard. Right is always right, right? I chuckled internally as I opened the cupboard. To my utter disappointment, all there was in the cupboard was dishes. Before I could check the other cupboards, footsteps sounded behind me.

"What are you doing up so late, Roza?"

I spun around to see my personal God standing in front of me in nothing but pj pants, his hair hanging in his face, which had a look of amusement on it.

My breathing stopped, and I'm pretty sure my heart did too, before picking up double time. How had I gone a year without seeing him and not gone crazy? All I wanted now was to jump him, and make love to him right here, right now, in the kitchen.

"Rose?" His voice sounded concerned as he peered down at me. I blinked, slowly coming back from the cloud of lust that surrounded me.

"Oh. Um. Hi," I stuttered out.

"Hey," he said softly, still looking at me with concern. "What are you doing out here? You should be sleeping."

I shrugged, finally coming to my senses. "Xavier wanted to eat, and now I'm hungry. Any chance you know where all the food is?" I asked, looking at him hopefully.

He chuckled. "Well, why don't we look in the fridge?" he said.

I looked at him with wonder. Why didn't I think of that?

* * *

**DPOV:**

I woke up to the sound of crying. It was very faint, and cut off almost immediately, but I knew it was Xavier's. I lay in bed for a few minutes, trying to see if anyone else was awake. Glancing over at the bed next to me to see Vika passed out cold told me no, no one else was up, unless it was Sydney. A few minutes later, I heard light footsteps pass my door, and figured it was Rose. After waiting a few moments, I threw the covers off and walked out to the kitchen.

I found my Roza standing in front of the cupboards. "What are you doing up so late, Roza?" I asked her.

Rose spun around and just stared. I was confused. Was something wrong? Did she go into Lissa's head? "Rose?" I said, looking at her with concern.

She blinked her eyes. "Oh. Um. Hi," she stammered.

"Hey," I said softly, still concerned. "What are you doing out here?"

"Xavier wanted to eat, and now I'm hungry. Any chance you know where all the food is?" she asked me.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Of course that was why she was out here._ Oh, Roza,_ I thought fondly. _You will never truly change._

"Well, why don't we look in the fridge?" I told her, turning away.

"Oh," she uttered softly. I don't think she even knew she said it. I opened the fridge door, scoping out what there was. Hm. I pulled out some salami and cheese, before turning toward the cupboards to look for bread. I found a loaf of honey wheat bread, and quickly made a couple sandwiches for her. Puting the sandwiches on a plate, I went on a hunt for cocoa. Finding some, I poured hot water into two cups before dumping two packets into each cup. Stirring them swiftly, I put a cup in front of Rose, then joined her where she was sitting at the table with my own cup.

We sat drinking cocoa in peaceful silence for several minutes.

"So how has life been?" I asked Rose.

She shrugged. "Same old, same old. How about you?" she replied.

I shrugged too. "Same here. Well, no, not really. Being at the Academy wasn't the same without you. I would go to the classes I had to watch and expect to see you there, disrupting them as usual, but you weren't there. It was pretty hard in the beginning. I'd gotten used to seeing you every day, and not seeing you at all..." I trailed off.

She nodded in understanding. I sighed. "Anyway, it got better once I started talking to Alberta, but it wasn't the same."

Rose smiled slightly. "Yeah. It was even harder for me because I was pregnant. I missed you so much, and I wanted to tell you so badly, but I couldn't, and it killed me. That's why I stopped talking to you so much, you know," she explained.

I nodded in understanding. I always wondered why she had all put cut off all contact with me after the first couple of months, and that explained it. I hadn't been able to really ask her what was going on because I had been so busy with my own duties, but I was glad she told me nonetheless.

"Where did you go? I know you were in Russia..." I trailed off again in hopes that she would continue.

Rose nodded. "I went to visit your family shortly after I found out that I was pregnant. After I broke off contact with you, more or less, I visited my dad in Turkey. I stayed there for a couple months, then went back to Baia until Xavier was born. I went back to Turkey when Xavier was about..three months? I think. Then I just stayed in Baia afterward. Until now, of course." She yawned once she finished.

"You're tired," I stated, standing up and putting out cups in the sink. We had been out here for a good forty minutes now, and Rose looked like she would fall asleep at any moment. She yawned again.

"Well, traveling halfway across the world, and then hearing about your life after reuniting with all of your friends and family will do that to you," she replied.

She yawned yet again, causing me to yawn right along with her. "Okay, let's get to bed. We'll need to be up tomorrow to read more of the story," I said, putting my hand on the small of her back and steering her toward the hallway.

"Oh, alright. I hope Xavier doesn't get up again. I need sleep," she muttered. "By the way, why were you up?"

"I heard Xavier crying," I answered.

"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know he cried that loud. Do you know if anyone else woke up?" She sounded so worried about the fact that she might have woken someone up that I felt my heart swell with love.

"No, I don't think anyone else woke up. I think I did because I'm attuned to his cry," I replied.

SHe thought for a moment before nodding. "Makes sense."

We paused in front of her door. "Go to sleep, Roza," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her.

She snuggled into my chest. "Will do, Comrade. You too." She pulled back slightly, and put one hand on my face. I knew what she wanted, and had no desire to deny her. I leaned my head down until our lips were millimeters away from each other, letting her make the final decision. She stretched her neck until our lips met in a slow kiss. There was no hurry in it, no force. It was sweet and soft, exactly what a first kiss should be. Exactly what _our _first kiss should have been. It ended naturally, and we looked into each others eyes for a long time. I felt myself getting lost in her deep brown eyes, and I didn't think I would ever want to find the way out. Suddenly, Rose yawned, breaking the moment.

I chuckled. "It's best for to get to bed, love. I'll see you in the morning." I kissed her lightly on the lips again, then once more on the forehead. "Goodnight, мой сладкий." (My sweet)

"Night, Comrade." She kissed me on the cheek before opening the door and walking into her room. She glanced back at me one last time before closing the door. I went over to my own room, feeling lighter and happier than I have for a long time. I fell back asleep with a smile on my face.

The next morning, I was woken up by something crawling on me, and tugging at me hair.

"Wha?" I blinked my eyes open to see Xavier's smiling face inches away from mine. I looked at him in shock. "Xavier? What?"

It was then that I registered the laughter. I looked up to see Rose and Viktoria with their hands over their mouths, trying to cover up their giggles.

It finally clicked. Rose had put Xavier on me to wake me up._ Wow, I'm a genius,_ I thought sarcastically. I put my hand gently on Xavier's back and carefully sat up, keeping him on my chest until I was fully sitting, then set him down in my lap.

"Well, hello there, little man," I said affectionately.

"Dada," Xavier gurgled, still playing with my hair. I smiled at him, then looked up at the two women who were looking on with amusement.

"Good morning to you too, ladies," I joked.

"Hey Comrade," Rose said happily, walking over to my bed and sitting on the edge. "Did you like you wake up call?"

I smiled. "Well, it was better than the one you gave me when we were together, with the water." I scowled playfully as she burst out laughing.

"Oh, man, I remember that! That was soo hilarious, you should have seen your face!" Rose laughed even harder at the memory.

I snorted. "I did. You took a picture remember?" I asked her.

Her reply was to laugh even harder. She was now gasping for air from laughing so hard.

"What happened?" Vika asked, looking confused.

I sighed. "I apparently wouldn't wake up, so she decided to take a bucket full of ice water, _with ice_, and dump it all over me. Did I mention I was naked? I woke up gasping from the cold, feeling as though I had fallen asleep outside in the middle of winter back home, and was greeted by the flash of a camera and Rose's laughing face."

Viktoria joined Rose in her laughter, her face red. I sighed again. What was so funny about my torment?

The two finally calmed down enough to get up and go out to the kitchen for breakfast. Or, Viktoria did, but Rose stayed in the room. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She just shrugged, and settled on Viktoria's bed. Xavier was crawling all over my bed, scaring the crap out of me.

"He can crawl?" I exclaimed.

Rose shrugged like it was nothing. "Yeah. But I really don't want him crawling around, and risk getting hurt, so I just put him in the playpen. I let him crawl around and explore in mine and Sydney's room, where I can focus on him. He takes after his mommy; never wants to sit still." She smiled fondly at some memory as she looked at Xavier. He was now crawling all over the carpet, exploring the room. I took advantage of her momentary distraction to get dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I knew what would happen if I changed in front of her with her full attention; we'd been late numerous times for work because of it.

"Comrade, are you trying to kill me?" Rose groaned as I pulled the dark blue shirt over my head. I turned to see her staring at me, or my chest, precisely.

"Xavier," I reminded her in a singsong voice. She quickly glanced over at him to make sure he was alright, exhaling when she saw he was playing with a piece of random paper that was on the floor. I stretched, groaning.

"How was your sleep?" I asked as Rose picked up Xavier.

She shrugged. "Pretty well. Xavier only got up once after the first time, but Sydney took care of him," she replied. "How about you?"

"Good, although I miss you," I said softly. I missed sleeping with her in my arms, my face buried in her hair. I missed the feeling of her warm body wrapped around mine. But most of all, I missed waking up and having her face be the first thing I saw each morning. She sighed, and slipped her hand into mine as we walked to the kitchen.

"I miss you too, so much. It was nearly unbearable in the beginning," she whispered back.

"I'm so sorry, Roza," I murmured, kissing her on the top of her head. "But it'll get better now. I'm here, forever and a day."

She smiled up at me, pausing at the end of the hallway. "And I'm here too. Don't forget that."

I returned her smile, pecking her on her lips. I let her go out first, following closely behind. Everyone turned to look at us as we walked in, and I wondered what they were seeing. Were they seeing two dhampirs with a baby? Or were they seeing a family, together, and happy again?

As we sat down at the table, sitting side by side with Xavier now in my arms, I noticed that Christian was at the stove. He was a surprisingly good cook, something I remembered from my days of guarding him. He had made an odd dish which consisted of scrambled eggs, home fries, and bacon, covered in melty shredded cheese. It was odd because all of it was mixed together, the cheese on top, but was surprisingly good. It was a very filling breakfast, coupled with coffee, and soon everyone was done and ready to read more of Rose's life story. We made our way back to the living room, the seating order slightly altered. I sat next to Rose, and Viktoria took my seat.

After some debate, it was agreed that Janine would read the next chapter.

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A/N: Tatiana Belikova and I would like to thank everyone who has favorite or subscribed to our story. We are very happy to have you guys with us. We'd also like to thank our reviewers: sageivashkov, Ozera's Buffy, RosenDimitriforever40333, , littlebadgirl2904, anon Twice In Rome, and georgia D. rose. We love you guys and look forward to seeing more of your reviews. BTW, thank you lovely readers for our 5000+ views. It is an honor!

**xoxo Chelsea Castile**


	10. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: We do not own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does(:**

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DPOV:

"Chapter 7," Janine began.

**A COUPLE WEEKS PASSED AFTER that, and I soon forgot about the Anna thing as life at the Academy wrapped around me.**

Janine shook her head. "You would think that you'd remember something so important," she said distastefully.

Rose shrugged. "I had other things on my mind that were just as important."

Janine shook her head disapprovingly, but continued reading.

**The shock of our return had worn off a little, and we began to fall into a semi-comfortable routine. My days revolved around church, lunch with Lissa, and whatever sort of social life I could scrape together outside of that. Denied any real free time, I didn't have too hard a time staying out of the spotlight, although I did manage to steal a little attention here and there, despite my noble speech to her about 'coasting through the middle.' I couldn't help it. I liked flirting, I liked groups, and I liked making smartass comments in class.**

**Her new, incognito role attracted attention simply because it was so different than before we'd left, back when she'd been so active with the royals. Most people soon let that go, accepting that the Dragomir princess was fading off the social radar and content to run with Natalie and her group. Natalie's rambling still made me want to beat my head against a wall sometimes,**

"I didn't have to; she did it for me," Rose muttered, and I winced at the memory of finding her being thrown around like a rag doll by Natalie. I reached over and squeezed her hand in comfort. She looked up at me, smiling slightly in thanks.

"What do you mean, 'she did it for you'?" Janine cried out.

Rose looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, and looked at me for help. "I'm sure it will be somewhere in the book," I replied, taking the book from Janine and flipping through it backwards, figuring if it was there, it would be towards the end. I almost immediately landed on the part where I came in. Chuckling, I looked at Rose with an eyebrow raised. "'Death in a cowboy duster'? Really?"

Rose blushed delicately, adding a beautiful color to her face. "I was loopy from blood loss and the head hit!"

I laughed. "Sure, Rose, whatever you say," I teased her, then looked at Janine. "Yes, it's in the book."

She nodded. "Alright." She took the book back from me, and began again.

**but she was really nice—nicer than almost any of the other royals—and I enjoyed hanging around her most of the time.**

**And, just as Kirova had warned, I was indeed training and working out all the time. But as more time passed, my body stopped hating me. My muscles grew tougher, and my stamina increased. I still got my ass kicked in practice but not quite as badly as I used to, which was something. **

As Janine read, I was surprised at the lack of interruptions, but then I figured that no one wanted to die, so they kept their mouths shut. Or maybe everyone was still waking up, I considered as I looked around on habit and saw everyone's mostly zoned out expressions.

**The biggest toll now seemed to be on my skin. Being outside in the cold so much was chapping my face, and only Lissa's constant supply of skin-care lotions kept me from aging before my time. She couldn't do much for the blisters on my hands and feet.**

Rose and I exchanged a look, remembering when I had bandaged her hands.

**A routine also developed with Dimitri and me. Mason had been right about him being antisocial. Dimitri didn't hang out much with the other guardians, though it was clear they all respected him. And the more I worked with him, the more I respected him too, though I didn't really understand his training methods. They didn't seem very badass. We always started by stretching in the gym, and lately he'd been sending me outside to run, braving the increasingly cold Montana autumn.**

"To build your stamina, and -" I began, when Rose interrupted me.

"Yes, yes, so that I can run when I need to. I think this is when you told me that," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

I simply shook my head exasperatedly. She was so..._Rose. _

**Three weeks after my return to the Academy, I walked into the gym before school one day and found him sprawled on a mat, reading a Louis L'Amour book. Someone had brought in a portable CD player, and while that cheered me up at first, the song coming from it did not: "When Doves Cry" by Prince.**

I raised my eyebrow. "You know that song?" I asked, astonished.

"Wow, didn't know you were a fan of the 80's Rose!" Christian called out. "But you must be. I mean, you're dating an old dude, so it stands to reason that you like old music too!" He started laughing while Rose glared.

I decided to step in before Christian lost something vital."Hey, Christian, you're forgetting that the 'old dude' that Rose is dating is sitting in this very room and is _not _your guardian, and the only person that could stop said old dude from doing something...unpleasant to you is Rose, soo..." I trailed off, letting him finish the sentence on his own. His laughter stopped immediately while Rose looked at me with surprised.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Comrade," she said, grinning.

I shrugged, but didn't respond. Truth was, what he said had bothered me. I had never been called an 'old dude' before, and in association with dating Rose is stung even more. Our age difference was an old sore that I didn't really want to open now. She was now 19, and I 26, so the difference wasn't as significant as it was when she was 17, but still.

**It was embarrassing to know the title, but one of our former housemates had been obsessed with the '80s.**

"See Sparky, that's why I knew the title of the songs, not because I enjoyed listening to it!" Rose exclaimed.

"Oh, I remember her! She would always blare her music! It was soo annoying. I think that was the first time I wanted to be violent toward a person that wasn't hurting anyone," Lissa said, laughing.

"Oh, man, I remember how you used to rant about her! It was hilarious!" Rose started laughing at some memory.

"Can I please continue? You two can go down the memory lane later, like during lunch," Janine snapped, startling everyone.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Abe murmured in her ear, rubbing a hand down her back.

Janine took several deep breaths before starting to read again.

**"Whoa, Dimitri," I said, tossing my bag on the floor. "I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"**

**Only his eyes flicked toward me; the rest of his posture remained the same. "What does it matter to you? I'm the one who's going to be listening to it. You'll be outside running."**

As if right on cue, my phone rang, playing _The Love Shack _bi B-52 I saw Rose roll her eyes as everyone burst out laughing.

"Dear Lord, even _I _don't listen to that!" Abe exclaimed, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"_The love shack is a little old place where we can get together!" _The phone sang.

Rose laughed. "Hey, Comrade, wanna visit the Love Shack?" she joked.

I felt myself blushing, which made her laugh even harder. I quickly quickly answered the phone, walking away from where everyone was all laughing to the relative quietness of the kitchen.

After talking to the guardian on the other end briefly, I went back to the living room where everyone was still in hysterics. I sat back down, then slowly dragged my gaze across the room, making sure to glare at each and every person. Most of the people backed off the minute they looked at me, but others, like my sister and Rose, just laughed harder. I sighed, and let them get it out of their system.

"Can I read now?" Janine snapped. Viktoria and Rose both stopped laughing at the same time and looked at her in shock. I was pretty surprised myself; she was more snippy than usual today.

**I made a face as I set my foot up on one of the bars and stretched my hamstrings. All things considered, Dimitri had a good-natured tolerance for my snarkiness. So long as I didn't slack in my training, he didn't mind my running commentary.**

I shrugged. "I lived with five girls until Paul was born. I was used to constant talking and sarcasm. You are remarkably like Vika," I said.

Rose and Viktoria exchanged a look and a smile.

**"Hey," I asked, moving on to the next set of stretches, "what's with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting? They're still killing me in group practice."**

"See? I told you this was the part where you explained it to me," Rose pointed out.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, you're right," I muttered.

**"Maybe you should hit harder," he replied dryly.**

"Dimka, did you just make a joke?" Viktoria asked mockingly, pretending to be shocked.

"Yes," I replied defiantly. "I can joke! Just because I prefer to be serious doesn't mean I can't relax!"

"Yeah. I can make him relax," Rose said, smirking. "It's really easy when you know what buttons to push." She turned to me, smiling evilly.

My eyes widened as I realized what was going through her mind. Shaking my head quickly, I cringed away from her.

"No! Don't! Please, don't!" I cried out, but she just continued to slowly creep her hands toward me. By now, I was squashed against the arm of the couch, Rose practically sitting on my lap. _Oh, God, no! Why hadn't I taken the escape when I was able to? Oh, right, I was too busy watching Rose's every move._

Her hand was now sliding along my chest, and my breathing picked up as I tried to bat her hands away. But she saw what I was trying to do and nimbly snuck her hands between mine and...started tickling me.

"Stop! No! No more!" I cried out while laughing violently. I tried to push her arms away again, but when that failed, I tried to curl within myself, covering my stomach and sides. Unfortunately, her hands were smaller and faster, due to the fact that my stomach was hurting so badly from laughing so hard, so she continued tickling me despite my best efforts to stop her.

By this point, it was hard for me to breathe, and tears were pouring done my eyes.

"Stop!" I gasped out. Rose seemed to realize that I was really hurting now, so she stopped tickling me and sat back, grinning.

"See? I told you I could get him to loosen up," she giggled.

"Oh," I groaned, stretching my tense muscles as I sat up. "If anything, you wound me even tighter. Ugh."

"Sorry," she said, looking up at me with eyes glittering with happiness. How could I stay made at that face? I couldn't, at all.

**"I'm serious."**

"Wow, Rose, you're _serious? Again? _What's the world coming to?" Christian said dramatically.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I can be serious. Like when certain pyromaniacs stalk my best friend," she said, looking at him pointedly.

Christian glared. "I was not stalking her!" he protested.

Rose rolled her eyes again. "Whatever you say, Edward."

Christian's glare darkened, and a fireball lit up in his hand.

"Christian, get that flame anywhere near Rose, and you won't have hands to make it with any more," I threatened. I had become overprotective of Rose, even more so since last night since it appeared as though we were finally back on track. No way would I allow anything to take my Roza away from me now. Yesterday I had been in shock, and it hadn't truly registered in my mind that she was here, and I had a son. After a good night's sleep, and wake up this morning, it finally hit me: Rose was here, with me, and I had a son who I loved very much already. And I wasn't going anywhere anymore.

Christian raised his hands up in the universal show of surrender. "Chill, dude. I wasn't going to actually do anything. Maybe burn her hair a bit, but not _hurt _her," he said.

I glared at him when he said he was going to burn her hair. I loved her hair. Without even realizing it, my hand had wound itself in Rose's hair, almost possessively. I quickly looked down at her to make sure I wasn't hurting her. She had her eyes closed, and a small smile of contentment was on her face. Rose opened her eyes, seeing me look at her questioningly.

"It feels good," she said, answering my unspoken question. I smiled in understanding, and began massaging her head, burying my hands in her long, dark hair. She let out a tiny moan.

"Mmm, that feels soo good," she mumbled, her eyes closed once more.

"As much as I'm enjoying the free porn," Adrian slurred out, "I'd really rather not see it. I mean, I get it that you have, like, a hair fetish, but dude, we're in a room with other people. Go screw around in your own room."

I clenched my jaw to keep from saying things to him that I would later regret. I could feel Rose tense next to me, and began massaging her head again to calm her down. I felt her slowly relax back into me, and looked at Janine to indicate that she should keep reading.

**"Hard to tell the difference." He set the book down but didn't move from his sprawl. "My job is to get you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?"**

**"Yup."**

**"So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do?"**

**"Depends on what store we're in."**

Rose looked up at me, dislodging my hands. "You know, that's technically a valid question," she said. "I mean, are we in a store that's near the entrance? Are we near a store that might have something to start a fire with? Something sharp? Is there a back entrance where we can escape? Is it crowded? Is-?"

"Okay, okay! I got it!" I cried out. "It is a valid question, but it wasn't at the time, because you couldn't have asked all those other questions."

She scowled at me. "I hate it when you're right," she muttered, leaning back into me, her back to my chest. Just as she got comfortable, Xavier started crying. "Again?" she exclaimed. "It hasn't been that long, has it?" She glanced around as if a clock would appear out of thin air.

"Maybe he just needs to be changed," I said, getting up. She sat up too, but I waved her off. "I got it, don't worry."

She hesitated, but nodded. "Alright. Here." She handed me the diaper bag. I picked up Xavier, and didn't even have to check his diaper; you could smell it from ten feet away. I grimaced; great. Thank God I had experience with babies.

I took Xavier to the bathroom, changing him swiftly. He giggled, wiggling around and waving his arms and legs as I buttoned his onesie.

"Do you feel better, having a clean diaper?" I cooed. Xavier giggled. "Yes you do, my handsome little man."

I walked slowly back to the living room, cooing to Xavier in Russian the entire time.

When I entered the room, I looked up to see Rose staring at us with pure love and joy in her eyes. It was as if there was a magnetic pull between her and I; I felt my eyes light up as I strode to her, settling back in my seat. Rose gently took Xavier from my arms and settled back against me. I wrapped my arms around both of them, unable to keep away. Even though we decided to start out slow, I couldn't deny the connection and need to be close between us.

Once Janine saw that we were focused once more, she began reading again.

**He looked at me.**

**"Fine. I'll stab him with a silver stake."**

**Dimitri sat up now, crossing his long legs in one fluid motion. I still couldn't figure out how someone so tall could be so graceful. **

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I seem tall to you, but I have been in this body my whole life; I'm used to it," I told her.

She shrugged. "It doesn't seem logical for someone so tall to be so graceful," she replied, tilting her head back to look at me.

"Just because I'm tall doesn't mean I just shot up one day to this height. It was gradual," I said reasonably.

She simply shrugged again. "I hope Xavier gets your height," she mumbled absentmindedly, stroking Xavier's hair. I couldn't help but agree. Rose was really short.

**"Oh?" He raised his dark eyebrows. "Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?"**

"Yes, and yes!" Rose said triumphantly.

"Yeah, you can say that now, but then..." I trailed off.

**I dragged my eyes away from his body **

"Your eyes aren't the only things you should be dragging away from him," Adrian muttered. "Your hands shouldn't be on him either. Especially when you have a boyfriend."

Rose gave him a dark look and opened her mouth to reply, but I put my fingers gently on her lips, effectively making her shut up.

"Don't," I murmured quietly into her ear. "He's not worth the aggravation."

She huffed in annoyance, but kept quiet.

**and scowled. Made with elemental magic, silver stakes were a guardian's deadliest weapon. Stabbing a Strigoi through the heart with one meant instant death.**

"No way!" Christian said sarcastically. "I never knew that!"

**The blades were also lethal to Moroi, so they weren't given out lightly to novices. My classmates had just started learning how to use them. I'd trained with a gun before, but no one would let me near a stake yet.**

Sydney looked at Rose incredulously. "They wouldn't let you train with a stake, which is harmless unless you have close contact, but they would let you train with gun, which can hurt or kill anyone from over a hundred yards away?" she exclaimed.

Rose nodded. "Yup. Guns are less dangerous to Strigoi, so they were seen as...less necessary than stake, and less lethal. So guns came first."

Sydney shook her head with disbelief, but before she could reply, Janine began reading again.

**Fortunately, there were two other ways to kill a Strigoi.**

**"Okay. I'll cut his head off."**

**"Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?"**

"Well, I could..." Rose started, but trailed off, her eyes taking on a faraway look.

"Don't think about it," I whispered in her ear, rubbing her arm in comfort. I knew what she was thinking of. _Mason._ She squeezed Xavier closer to her chest, and burrowed further into mine.

**I straightened up from touching my toes, annoyed. "Fine, then I'll set him on fire."**

**"Again, with what?"**

"Christian. Not like we've never done _that _before. As they say, that ship has sailed." Rose reached over Lissa to give Christian a high five.

I merely smiled. "I think that's the first time you've called him Christian since we've been here," I joked.

She just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're just jealous cause I haven't been calling you Comrade as often."

I groaned at the nickname she had given me. "You know I hate it when you call me that," I grumbled. In truth, I liked the nickname. Well, not the nickname itself, but what it represented: endearment. I was the only one she called 'Comrade,' no one else. I was her Comrade, just like she was my Roza.

"Oh, admit it, you secretly love it," Rose teased.

I rolled my eyes, a smile playing on my lips.

**"All right, I give up. You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?"**

"You run," every dhampir in the room, and Mia, said at the same time.

**He looked at me and didn't blink. "You run."**

**I repressed the urge to throw something at him. **

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. I had seen that she wanted to hit me or throw something at me; in fact, I had been prepared for it. I could see Alberta and Abe also looking amused at her reaction.

"That's my girl," Abe joked.

**When I finished my stretches, he told me he'd run with me. That was a first. Maybe running would give me some insight into his killer reputation.**

"No, I just wanted to see why your times weren't improving as much as I wanted them to. Plus, I wanted to see how you run," I explained.

**We set out into the chilly October evening. Being back on a vampiric schedule still felt weird to me. With school about to start in an hour, I expected the sun to be coming up, not down. But it was sinking on the western horizon, lighting up the snow-capped mountains with an orange glow. It didn't really warm things up, and I soon felt the cold pierce my lungs as my need for oxygen deepened. We didn't speak. He slowed his pace to match mine, so we stayed together.**

**Something about that bothered me; I suddenly very much wanted his approval.**

"You'll always have my approval, Roza," I murmured. "Unless you are in an empty lounge with another guy shirtless, that is."

Rose gave an exasperated sigh. "You're never gonna let me live it down, are you?" She asked.

"Nope," I replied, popping the 'p' just like she did. It felt weird in my mouth, almost awkward, and Rose started laughing.

"Why don't you leave that to me?" She said, her shoulders still slightly shaking with laughter. Xavier started to wiggle around her arms, and she leaned forward to put him in his playpen.

I smiled fondly at my son as Janine began again.

**So I picked up my own pace, working my lungs and muscles harder. Twelve laps around the track made three miles; we had nine more to go.**

Lissa shook her head with disbelief. "You run three miles on the daily basis?" She asked.

Both Rose and I nodded. Rose looked up at me. "Speaking of...can we start those training sessions again? After Xavier was born I wasn't able to really work out, and I want to get back in shape," she said.

I looked at her with surprised. What did she mean, 'back in shape'? She was in shape! Now that I really looked at her, really, truly, without being biased, I noticed she _had _gained a couple pounds, but they were barely noticeable.

"Not that you need to lose any weight...Yeah, sure, once we get out of here, and have settled in again, alright?" I suddenly remembered that I was still technically an employee of the Academy. I turned to Alberta. "Can I leave the Academy, Alberta?" I asked her.

Alberta shrugged. "Sure, as long as you have a job here," she answered.

I looked at Lissa. "Can I have my old job back?" I asked.

Lissa nodded eagerly. "Of course you can."

I nodded. "Good."

**When we reached the third-to-last loop, a couple of other novices passed by, preparing to go to the group practice I'd soon be at as well. Seeing me, Mason cheered. "Good form, Rose!"**

**I smiled and waved back.**

**"You're slowing down," Dimitri snapped, jerking my gaze from the boys. The harshness in his voice startled me. "Is this why your times aren't getting any faster? You're easily distracted?"**

"Wow, someone's jealous!" Vika said jokingly.

"I wasn't jealous," I protested. "I was just, um, mad that she was distracted and not doing what she was told!"

Viktoria rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure, _that's _why you're mad. We'll just go along with that."

I grumbled something underneath my breath, but it was drowned out my Janine's voice.

**Embarrassed, I increased my speed once more, despite the fact that my body started screaming obscenities at me. **

Eddie laughed. "Your body is talking to you? _Again?_ Now you're starting to sound like Adrian over there." He nodded towards where Adrian was muttering under his breath, scowling down at his bottle.

Rose looked at Eddie. "Even at my worst, I wasn't that bad." She shook her head sadly.

"At your worst...you were angry and wanted to kill someone. You were never insane in that respect." I nodded toward Adrian. "You were mad with anger."

She looked down, no doubt remembering Victor. "It's in the past now," I told her gently. She nodded.

**We finished the twelve laps, and when he checked, he found we'd shaved two minutes off my best time.**

**"Not bad, huh?" I crowed when we headed back inside for cool-down stretches. "Looks like I could get as far as the Limited before the Strigoi got me at the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do."**

"Hey!" Lissa exclaimed. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing Liss," Rose said quickly. "Nothing at all."

**"If she was with you, she'd be okay."**

**I looked up in surprise. It was the first real compliment he'd paid me since I started training with him. His brown eyes watched me, both approving and amused.**

**And that's when it happened.**

"He kissed you?" Lissa inquired and I shook my head.

"No, silly." Rose retorted, though I'm sure she was silently wishing I had.

"Then what happened?" Christian asked expectantly.

"If you'd let Guardian Hathaway finish reading I'm sure you'd know," I said a little annoyed.

"That's Janine to you, after all you already have a child with my daughter." She replied warily.

"Alright...Janine," I said with a small smile.

**I felt like someone had shot me. Sharp and biting, terror exploded in my body and in my head. Small razors of pain. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I wasn't standing there. I was running down a flight of stairs, scared and desperate, needing to get out of there, needing to find…me.**

I felt myself tense, remembering what happened, and how frantic I was when Rose reacted so oddly.

**My vision cleared, leaving me back on the track and out of Lissa's head. Without a word to Dimitri, I tore off, running as fast as I could toward the Moroi dorm. It didn't matter that I'd just put my legs through a mini-marathon. They ran hard and fast, like they were shiny and new. Distantly, I was aware of Dimitri catching up to me, asking me what was wrong. But I couldn't answer him. I had one task and one alone: get to the dorm.**

**Its looming, ivy-covered form was just coming into view when Lissa met up with us, her face streaked with tears. I came to a jarring stop, my lungs ready to burst.**

"What happened?" Sonya asked as we all turned to look at her.

"Sorry, I thought I said that in my head..." she explained and we all returned to Janine so she could continue.

**"What's wrong? What happened?" I demanded, clutching her arms, forcing her to look into my eyes.**

**But she couldn't answer. She just flung her arms around me, sobbing into my chest. I held her there, stroking her sleek, silky hair **

"That's what he said!" Adrian suddenly crowed. Everyone turned to him.

"Really Adrian?" Eddie asked. "Really?"

Adrian shrugged. "Yup." After a moment, everyone got back to the story.

**while I told her it was going to be all right—whatever 'it' was. And honestly, I didn't care what it was just then. She was here, and she was safe, which was all that mattered. Dimitri hovered over us, alert and ready for any threat, his body coiled to attack. I felt safe with him beside us.**

"I always feel safe with you," Rose said, looking up at me.

I smiled. "So do I. Or at least I feel as if everything would be alright," I replied, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Can you please shut up so we can find out what happened?" Janine snapped. Everyone looked at her, startled, again. No one said anything so she took it as her cue to continue.

**A half hour later, we were crammed inside Lissa's dorm room with three other guardians, Ms. Kirova, and the hall matron. This was the first time I'd seen Lissa's room. Natalie had indeed managed to get her as a roommate, and the two sides of the room were a study in contrasts. Natalie's looked lived in, with pictures on the wall and a frilly bedspread that wasn't dorm-issue. Lissa had as few possessions as I did, making her half noticeably bare. She did have one picture taped to the wall, a picture taken from last Halloween, when we'd dressed up like fairies, complete with wings and glittery makeup. Seeing that picture and remembering how things used to be made a dull pain form in my chest.**

"I miss those days," Rose said with a faraway look in her eyes.

"I do too," Lissa responded. "But if we hadn't come back, I wouldn't have Christian and you wouldn't have Dimitri and Xavier."

"And I wouldn't change that for the world," she replied giving my hand a squeeze.

I looked down at her and smiled, I wouldn't change catching her either. It was one of the few things I didn't regret happening over the past few years.

**With all the excitement, no one seemed to remember that I wasn't supposed to be in there. **

"Of course not," Janine muttered under her breath before reading again.

**Outside in the hall, other Moroi girls crowded together, trying to figure out what was going on. Natalie pushed her way through them, wondering what the commotion in her room was. When she discovered it, she came to a screeching halt.**

**Shock and disgust showed on almost everyone's faces as we stared at Lissa's bed. There was a fox on the pillow. Its coat was reddish-orange, tinged in white. It looked so soft and cuddly that it could have been a pet, perhaps a cat, something you'd hold in your arms and snuggle with.**

**Aside from the fact that its throat had been slit.**

**The inside of the throat looked pink and jellylike. **

Janine suddenly broke off, before dropping the book and running to the bathroom. Abe shot after her while the rest of us watched them startled.

Once she had come back and got settled in, Rose pounced. "What was that?" she asked immediately.

Janine just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Rose, please."

Whether it was the tired tone in her voice, or the fact that she had said please, Rose dropped the subject, changing to another one instead.

"Can we just skip this part? I don't think anyone wants to hear it," Rose said, glancing at Lissa, who looked slightly green.

Janine nodded, and skimmed over the page.

**Nausea built up in my stomach, but I forced myself to keep looking. I couldn't afford to be squeamish. I'd be killing Strigoi someday. If I couldn't handle a fox, I'd never survive major kills.**

Mikhail shook his head. "That's different. Strigoi are evil and you know it. The fox was, for all intents and purposes, innocent."

**What had happened to the fox was sick and twisted, obviously done by someone too fucked up for words. **

Rose snorted. "You can say that again," she muttered darkly.

"What happened to the fox was sick and twisted, obviously done by someone too fucked up for words," Eddie repeated.

Rose glared at him. "I didn't mean repeat it, I simply - oh, never mind," she huffed.

**Lissa stared at it, her face death-pale, and took a few steps toward it, hand involuntarily reaching out. This gross act hit her hard, I knew, digging at her love of animals. She loved them, they loved her. While on our own, she'd often begged me for a pet, but I'd always refused and reminded her we couldn't take care of one when we might have to flee at a moment's notice. Plus, they hated me. So she'd contented herself with helping and patching up strays she found and making friends with other people's pets, like Oscar the cat.**

"If you want a pet, Lissa, I'll get you a pet," Christian said, kissing her lightly.

"Really?" Lissa asked, brightening up. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Chris!"

She pulled him into a passionate kiss, which Rose interrupted by pretending to gag.

"Get a room, you two!" she cried out.

They pulled apart, Lissa blushing slightly.

**She couldn't patch this fox up, though. There was no coming back for it, but I saw in her face she wanted to help it, like she helped everything. I took her hand and steered her away, suddenly recalling a conversation from two years ago.**

"Is this what I think it is?" Sonya said raising her eyebrow. I looked to Lissa and Rose wondering what she was talking about.

"Yep," Rose said popping the 'p'. "See Comrade, works better for me."

I chuckled and tickled her lightly. After a few moments we stopped and looked to see everyone staring at us. I blushed bright red and turned to Xavier. He seemed preoccupied with his hands at the moment so I just sighed.

"Um, can we keep going?" I asked, Janine just shook her head and read on.

**"What is that? Is it a crow?"**

**"Too big. It's a raven."**

**"Is it dead?"**

**"Yeah. Definitely dead. Don't touch it."**

**She hadn't listened to me back then. I hoped she would now.**

"Gah! Why would you do that?" Viktoria cried out. "What were you talking about? You can't just stopped there!"

Rose laughed. "Don't worry about it, Vika. I'm pretty sure I have a flashback later on, but if I don't I'll tell you about it, okay?" she said.

Vika scowled, but nodded.

**"It was still alive when I got back," Lissa whispered to me, clutching my arm. "Barely. Oh God, it was twitching. It must have suffered so much."**

**I felt bile rise in my throat now. Under no circumstances would I throw up. "Did you—?"**

**"No. I wanted to…I started to…"**

**"Then forget about it," I said sharply. "It's stupid. Somebody's stupid joke. They'll clean it up. Probably even give you a new room if you want."**

**She turned to me, eyes almost wild. "Rose…do you remember…that one time…"**

**"Stop it," I said. "Forget about it. This isn't the same thing."**

**"What if someone saw? What if someone knows?…"**

**I tightened my grip on her arm, digging my nails in to get her attention. She flinched.**

"Jeez, Rose, no need to get violent," Sydney said.

Rose shrugged. "I had to get her attention somehow."

"Shh!" Mia exclaimed. "I want to hear this!"

**"No. It's not the same. It has nothing to do with that. Do you hear me?" I could feel both Natalie and Dimitri's eyes on us. "It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."**

**Not looking like she believed me at all, Lissa nodded.**

**"Get this cleaned up," Kirova snapped to the matron. "And find out if anyone saw anything."**

**Someone finally realized I was there and ordered Dimitri to take me away, no matter how much I begged them to let me stay with Lissa. He walked me back to the novices' dorm. He didn't speak until we were almost there. "You know something. Something about what happened. Is this what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?"**

**"I don't know anything. It's just some sick joke."**

"Don't I wish," Rose whispered sadly.

**"Do you have any idea who'd do it? Or why?"**

**I considered this. Before we'd left, it could have been any number of people. That was the way it was when you were popular. People loved you, people hated you. But now? Lissa had faded off to a certain extent. The only person who really and truly despised her was Mia, but Mia seemed to fight her battles with words, not actions. **

"I can't believe you actually considered me!" Mia cried out, looking horrified.

Rose shrugged. "Well, you hated her for some reason, and you were the only one I could think of. But if it makes you feel better, I didn't actually think you did it."

Mia sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever," she muttered.

**And even if she did decide to do something more aggressive, why do this? She didn't seem like the type. There were a million other ways to get back at a person. "No," I told him. "No clue."**

"And you would know most of them," Jill joked.

**"Rose, if you know something, tell me. We're on the same side. We both want to protect her. This is serious."**

**I spun around, taking my anger over the fox out on him. "Yeah, it is serious. It's all serious. And you have me doing laps every day when I should be learning to fight and defend her! If you want to help her, then teach me something! Teach me how to fight. I already know how to run away."**

**I didn't realize until that moment how badly I did want to learn, how I wanted to prove myself to him, to Lissa, and to everyone else. The fox incident had made me feel powerless, and I didn't like that. I wanted to do something, anything.**

**Dimitri watched my outburst calmly, with no change in his expression. When I finished, he simply beckoned me forward like I hadn't said anything. "Come on. You're late for practice."**

Rose shook her head. "After my whole speech, that's all you could say?" she asked incredulously.

"I knew you were taking your anger out on me, and I had a few things to think about before I was going to let you fight. Plus, I wanted to prepare you for it, and make sure you were serious about it." I gave her a meaningful look, remembering the time I caught her in the lounge with Jesse.

She nodded seriously. "Yeah, but you could have given me more than just 'you're late for practice," she complained.

I shrugged. I was doing that a lot today. "Yeah, but would you have listened, or just argued?" I asked pointedly.

She huffed with frustration, but didn't saying anything, which gave me my answer. Argue.

"See?" I said. "My point exactly."

"Whatever," she muttered, then threw the book at me. "Now you get to read."

I rolled my eyes, but opened the book to the correct page. "Chapter Eight..." I began.

* * *

**A/N: So very sorry for the late update! I just was dragging my heels, not doing my part! Thank you to all who reviewed:** , LilyPotterRozaBelikova, NekkaLovesChocolate, one of our favorite anons Maelwaedd, RukiaDeathKuchiki, Do'B, and our two unsigned guest**! ****Readers of My Wish, I can almost promise you an update today! - Tatiana Belikova**


	11. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Tatiana Belikova and I do not own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does. xD!**

* * *

**RPOV:**

Before Dimitri could start reading my mom shot up with her hand covering her mouth heading towards the bathroom. If my suspicions weren't already confirmed, they definitely were now, but I'd wait until she was ready to tell me herself instead of asking her. We'd been working on our rocky relationship but ever since we started reading this book things had gone downhill.

If I ever found whoever it was that wrote these books I'd kill them in cold blood. I mentally shook myself. _Calm down, _I thought to myself_, this isn't you_. I took a deep breath then looked up to see everyone staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," they mumbled. I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen to get my mom some saltines and ginger ale before she returned. When I got back to the room she was already sitting there so I handed her the items.

"Just in case, I wouldn't want you to get sicker then you already are." I said looking her in the eyes. Then I looked to Dimitri, "Come on Comrade, we don't have all day."

**BURNING WITH ANGER, I FOUGHT harder and better that day than I ever had in any of my classes with the novices. So much so that I finally won my first hand-to-hand pairing, annihilating Shane Reyes. We'd always gotten along, and he took it good-naturedly, applauding my performance, as did a few others.**

**"The comeback's starting," observed Mason after class.**

**"So it would seem."**

**He gently touched my arm. "How's Lissa?"**

**It didn't surprise me that he knew. Gossip spread so fast around here sometimes, it felt like everyone had a psychic bond.**

"Nope, just nosey teenagers." Abe teased.

"Kind of glad we didn't have a psychic bond though, that would be really awkward." Eddie added.

**"Okay. Coping." I didn't elaborate on how I knew that. Our bond was a secret from the student body. "Mase, you claim to know about Mia. **

"Excuse me!" Mia huffed in annoyance.

"You're excused," I returned sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

**You think she might have done that?"**

**"Whoa, hey, I'm not an expert on her or anything. But honestly? No. Mia won't even do dissections in biology. I can't picture her actually catching a fox, let alone, um, killing it."**

"At least somebody had faith in my sanity," Mia muttered under her breath.

**"Any friends who might do it for her?"**

"Just couldn't drop it could you?" Mia whined.

"Not when Lissa's life was at stake, no." I replied.

**He shook his head. "Not really. They're not really the types to get their hands dirty either. But who knows?"**

**Lissa was still shaken when I met her for lunch later, her mood made worse when Natalie and her crew wouldn't shut up about the fox. Apparently Natalie had overcome her disgust enough to enjoy the attention the spectacle had brought her. Maybe she wasn't as content with her fringe status as I'd always believed.**

"Or maybe she was the one that did it," I said quietly to myself so that no one could hear me.

**"And it was just there," she explained, waving her hands for emphasis. "Right in the middle of the bed. There was blood everywhere."**

As if on cue, my mother took off for the bathroom. Everyone looked around confused except for me. I gave them a pointed look and told Dimitri to continue as my mother made her way back to the loveseat.

**Lissa looked as green as the sweater she wore, and I pulled her away before I even finished my food and immediately launched into a string of obscenities about Natalie's social skills.**

**"She's nice," Lissa said automatically. "You were just telling me the other day how much you liked her."**

**"I do like her, but she's just incompetent about certain things."**

"Try a lot of things," Lissa and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and started giggling, earning us confused glares from the rest of the room. Clearing my throat, I uttered a sorry and Dimitri continued on.

**We stood outside our animal behavior class, and I noticed people giving us curious looks and whispering as they passed. I sighed.**

**"How are you doing with all this?"**

**A half-smile crossed her face. "Can't you already feel it?"**

**"Yeah, but I want to hear it from you."**

"What is this, a love confession? I always knew you were getting down and dirty." Adrian commented. Me and Lissa glared at him.

"Why must you speak when you know you're already pissing me off?" I asked throwing my hands up in exasperation.

"I didn't even do anything," he whined.

"Then shut the hell up!" I returned as he shrank back in his seat.

**"I don't know. I'll be okay. I wish everyone wouldn't keep staring at me like I'm some kind of freak."**

"You're not a freak!" Christian and I screamed at her.

"Nice to know you two agree on something," Lissa said jokingly.

**My anger exploded again. The fox was bad. People upsetting her made it worse, but at least I could do something about them. "Who's bothering you?"**

**"Rose, you can't beat up everyone we have a problem with."**

"Watch me," I growled.

**"Mia?" I guessed.**

"Why is it always me?!" Mia screeched.

"Because, back then you were a seething bitch," I responded with a smirk.

"Rose!" Lissa shrieked.

"What? It's true," I retorted.

"She's right, I really was. Sorry guys..." Mia said softly.

**"And others," she said evasively. "Look, it doesn't matter. What I want to know is how this could have…that is, I can't stop thinking about that time—"**

**"Don't," I warned.**

Everyone except Lissa, Sonya, and I leaned forward in their seats.

**"Why do you keep pretending that didn't happen? You of all people. You made fun of Natalie for going on and on, but it's not like you've got a good grip on your control switch. You'll normally talk about anything."**

**"But not that. We need to forget about it. It was a long time ago. We don't even really know what happened."**

**She stared at me with those big green eyes, calculating her next argument.**

**"Hey, Rose."**

"God, we were just about to find out what happened!" Sydney exclaimed, "who dare interrupt?!" We all looked at her like she was crazy until I started laughing like a maniac.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Did you just say God's name in vain, how very _Christian_ of you." I said with mock surprise. Sydney rolled her eyes.

"Well, soooorry. I got a little caught up in the moment. Your secrets are juicier than a package of Starburst." She answered. I just shrugged and waited for Dimitri to start reading again.

**Our conversation dropped as Jesse strolled up to us. I turned on my best smile.**

Dimitri growled as he gripped the book tighter.

**"Hey."**

**He nodded cordially to Lissa. "So hey, I'm going to be in your dorm tonight for a study group. You think…maybe…"**

"You better not," my mom demanded.

"Hello, past..." I said slightly annoyed.

**Momentarily forgetting Lissa, I focused my full attention on Jesse. **

"Thanks," Lissa said snarkily. I glared at Christian.

"Look Sparky, stop being an asshole around Lissa. You're starting to rub off on her." I said.

"And what about you? You're the biggest bitch in Court!" He exclaimed.

"EXCUSE ME?! Do you really wanna go there Pyro?" I yelled.

"I think I just did," he argued.

"ENOUGH!" Abe shouted. "Sit down and shut up before I hurt both of you." I hadn't even noticed we were now standing in each others face, so I slowly backed away and took my seat.

**Suddenly, I so needed to do something wild and bad. Too much had happened today. "Sure."**

**He told me when he'd be there, and I told him I'd meet him in one of the common areas with "further instructions."**

**Lissa stared at me when he left. "You're under house arrest. They won't let you hang out and talk to him."**

**"I don't really want to 'talk' to him. We'll slip away."**

**She groaned. "I just don't know about you sometimes."**

**"That's because you're the cautious one, and I'm the reckless one."**

"At least she knows it," my mother mumbled.

**Once animal behavior started, I pondered the likelihood of Mia being responsible.**

"Again!" Mia wailed.

**From the smug look on her psycho-angel face, she certainly seemed to be enjoying the sensation caused by the bloody fox. But that didn't mean she was the culprit, and after observing her over the last couple of weeks, I knew she'd enjoy anything that upset Lissa and me. She didn't need to be the one who had done it.**

**"Wolves, like many other species, differentiate their packs into alpha males and alpha females whom the others defer to. Alphas are almost always the strongest physically, though many times, confrontations turn out to be more a matter of willpower and personality. When an alpha is challenged and replaced, that wolf may find himself ostracized from the group or even attacked."**

**I looked up from my daydreams and focused on Ms. Meissner.**

"Rose paying attention in class, who would have thought." Eddie joked.

I got up and grabbed Xaviers rattle, then threw it at Eddie's head.

"Ow," he cried out as Jill laughed at him.

"That's for being an asshat!" I shouted, slightly scaring Xavier. I bent down to rub his back until he fell back asleep.

**"Most challenges are likely to occur during mating season," she continued. This, naturally, brought snickers from the class. "In most packs, the alpha pair are the only ones who mate. If the alpha male is an older, seasoned wolf, a younger competitor may think he has a shot. Whether that is true works on a case-by-case basis. The young often don't realize how seriously outclassed they are by the more experienced."**

"That should apply to Guardians too," I said bitterly.

**The old-and-young-wolf thing notwithstanding, I thought the rest was pretty relevant. Certainly in the Academy's social structure, I decided bitterly, there seemed to be a lot of alphas and challenges.**

**Mia raised her hand. "What about foxes? Do they have alphas too?"**

**There was a collective intake of breath from the class, followed by a few nervous giggles. No one could believe Mia had gone there.**

"Neither can I," Sonya said.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Mikhail chastised. Mia shrunk back in her seat and hide her face in her hair.

"Sorry," she whispered.

**Ms. Meissner flushed with what I suspected was anger. "We're discussing wolves today, Miss Rinaldi."**

**Mia didn't seem to mind the subtle chastising, and when the class paired off to work on an assignment, she spent more time looking over at us and giggling. Through the bond, I could feel Lissa growing more and more upset as images of the fox kept flashing through her mind.**

**"Don't worry," I told her. "I've got a way—"**

**"Hey, Lissa," someone interrupted.**

**We both looked up as Ralf Sarcozy stopped by our desks. He wore his trademark stupid grin, and I had a feeling he'd come over here on a dare from his friends.**

**"So, admit it," he said. "You killed the fox. You're trying to convince Kirova you're crazy so that you can get out of here again."**

**"Screw you," I told him in a low voice.**

**"Are you offering?"**

"I believe she is," none other than Adrian said as I shot him a dirty look.

**"From what I've heard, there isn't much to screw," I shot back.**

"Not lying there," Mia commented.

**"Wow," he said mockingly. "You have changed. Last I remembered, you weren't too picky about who you got naked with."**

"I'll kill him," my dad growled.

"I'll help," Dimitri added.

"Guys calm down, the past is the past." I protested.

**"And the last I remember, the only people you ever saw naked were on the Internet."**

**He cocked his head in an overly dramatic fashion. "Hey, I just got it: it was you, wasn't it?" He looked at Lissa, the back at me. "She got you to kill the fox, didn't she? Some weird kind of lesbian voo—ahhh!"**

**Ralf burst into flames.**

Everybody in the room gasped, while I looked at Christian admiringly. Not that he'd ever know that.

**I jumped up and pushed Lissa out of the way—not easy to do, since we were sitting at our desks. We both ended up on the floor as screams—Ralf's in particular—filled the classroom and Ms. Meissner sprinted for the fire extinguisher.**

**And then, just like that, the flames disappeared. Ralf was still screaming and patting himself down, but he didn't have a single singe mark on him. The only indication of what had happened was the lingering smell of smoke in the air.**

**For several seconds, the entire classroom froze. Then, slowly, everyone put the pieces together. Moroi magical specializations were well known, and after scanning the room, I deduced three fire users: Ralf, his friend Jacob, and—**

**Christian Ozera.**

Christian smiled deviously, "I always get the dramatic entrance. Makes me think you've got some type of crush on me," he joked. I gagged.

"Sorry pencil dick, the only crushing I want to do to you would result in your untimely death." I said with a smile.

Christian's face paled but he said no more.

**Since neither Jacob nor Ralf would have set Ralf on fire, it sort of made the culprit obvious. The fact that Christian was laughing hysterically sort of gave it away too.**

**Ms. Meissner changed from red to deep purple. "Mr. Ozera!" she screamed. "How dare you—do you have any idea—report to Headmistress Kirova's office now!"**

**Christian, completely unfazed, stood up and slung his backpack over one shoulder. That smirk stayed on his face. "Sure thing, Ms. Meissner."**

"Now that was badass, unlike what you do," he remarked as I rolled my eyes.

**He went out of his way to walk past Ralf, who quickly backed away as he passed. The rest of the class stared, open-mouthed.**

**After that, Ms. Meissner attempted to return the class to normal, but it was a lost cause. No one could stop talking about what had happened. It was shocking on a few different levels. First, no one had ever seen that kind of spell: a massive fire that didn't actually burn anything. Second, Christian had used it offensively. He had attacked another person. Moroi never did that. They believed magic was meant to take care of the earth, to help people live better lives. It was never, ever used as a weapon. Magic instructors never taught those kinds of spells; I don't think they even knew any. Finally, craziest of all, Christian had done it. Christian, whom no one ever noticed or gave a damn about. Well, they'd noticed him now.**

**It appeared someone still knew offensive spells after all, and as much as I had enjoyed the look of terror on Ralf's face, it suddenly occurred to me that Christian might really and truly be a psycho.**

"Takes one to know one," he said comically.

**"Liss," I said as we walked out of class, "please tell me you haven't hung out with him again."**

**The guilt that flickered through the bond told me more than any explanation could.**

**"Liss!" I grabbed her arm.**

**"Not that much," she said uneasily. "He's really okay—"**

**"Okay? Okay?" People in the hall stared at us. I realized I was practically shouting. "He's out of his mind. He set Ralf on fire. I thought we decided you weren't going to see him anymore."**

**"You decided, Rose. Not me." There was an edge in her voice I hadn't heard in a while.**

**"What's going on here? Are you guys…you know?…"**

**"No!" she insisted. "I told you that already. God." She shot me a look of disgust. "Not everyone thinks—and acts—like you."**

"She's got you there," Adrian noted.

"Shut fuck up before I-" I retorted before being rudely cut off.

"Ivashkov. Drop. It." Dimitri said menacingly. Adrian opened his mouth to speak, but Dimitri cut him off by reading on.

**I flinched at the words. Then we noticed that Mia was passing by. She hadn't heard the conversation but had caught the tone. A snide smile spread over her face. "Trouble in paradise?"**

**"Go find your pacifier, and shut the hell up," I told her, not waiting to hear her response. Her mouth dropped open, then tightened into a scowl.**

"Mia, you should have seen that one coming." Eddie said laughing.

I smirked. "Hey, Mia, if you want, you can borrow Xavier's. I'm sure he won't mind." I snickered.

Mia simply scowled at me.

**Lissa and I walked on in silence, and then Lissa burst out laughing. Like that, our fight diffused.**

**"Rose…" Her tone was softer now.**

**"Lissa, he's dangerous. I don't like him. Please be careful."**

**She touched my arm. "I am. I'm the cautious one, remember? You're the reckless one."**

"So you keep reminding us," Jill said.

**I hoped that was still true.**

Lissa and Christian rolled their eyes.

**But later, after school, I had my doubts. I was in my room doing homework when I felt a trickle of what could only be called sneakiness coming from Lissa. Losing track of my work, I stared off into space, trying to get a more detailed understanding of what was happening to her. If ever there was a time for me to slip into her mind, it was now, but I didn't know how to control that.**

"Tell me you didn't!" Lissa pleaded.

"I... didn't," I said skeptically.

"Rose." she said threateningly as I averted my eyes and shrugged.

"Shit happens," I stated throwing Dimitri a 'help me' look. He caught on.

**Frowning, I tried to think what normally made that connection occur. Usually she was experiencing some strong emotion, an emotion so powerful it tried to blast into my mind. I had to work hard to fight against that; I always sort of kept a mental wall up.**

**Focusing on her now, I tried to remove the wall. I steadied my breathing and cleared my mind. My thoughts didn't matter, only hers did. I needed to open myself to her and let us connect.**

**I'd never done anything like this before; I didn't have the patience for meditation. My need was so strong, however, that I forced myself into an intense, focused relaxation. I needed to know what was going on with her, and after a few more moments, my effort paid off.**

**I was in.**

"That's what she said," Adrian proclaimed rather loudly as Christian and Eddie burst into giggles. I mean what were they a bunch of high school girls?

"Ha ha, very funny. Glad you girls have got a _wicked_ sense of humor," I joked. Christian glared at me and Eddie just shrugged it off.

"After the next chapter, I'll make lunch." My mother offered as Abe looked at her in shock.

"Janine, I don't think that would be a good idea." He said. If looks could kill, he would be a pile of ashes from the glare she was giving him.

"How about we make Sparky cook, he loves to play housewife." I joined in, afraid that if my father said anything else his life would be over.

"Sure..." Christian said slowly as he glared at me. I returned his look and rolled my eyes, then gave a jerk towards my mother's direction. He finally caught on and gave a small sigh as Lissa laughed at our interaction.

"I'm quite parched," Lissa said. "I'm gonna call in the feeders."

"No need," said an elderly voice coming from the door. I don't even remember hearing it open, bad form on my part.

"Alice!" Christian said delightfully, "I almost forgot I called you in today."

"Rose, Your Majesty." She said giving us a nod. "Others."

"We'll get you a room," said Christian leading her to one of the now empty rooms, coming back a few minutes later.

"Abe told me we might need a feeder so I called Alice," he explained when he sat down. "I've just fed so everyone else can go now. She hasn't been used by anyone else today so her quota hasn't been filled."

The six remaining moroi took their time while the rest of us discussed what we'd have for lunch. We'd decided to have gourmet sandwiches with fries, and sent one of the Royal Guardians to the store for the food items. After feeding with Alice was done, we settled back in our seats on the couch.

"Who's next?" Dimitri asked waving the book around like an idiot. I laughed.

"I'll read," Mikhail offered getting up to grab the book.

"Sure you wanna lose your innocence?" Christian quipped as Mikhail's face reddened.

"I'll take my chances," he returned shyly taking a deep breath. "Chapter 9..."

* * *

**A/N: For everyone that's been wondering if we're going to do the whole series. YES! That is the plan, we're not gonna flake out or give up halfway through like most people do. We hope to get this over with as soon as possible. Also, I'm sorry for the late post. I'm a Grade A Procrastinator, who happens to be a semi-perfectionist. So, thank you to those who viewed and a special thanks to those who reviewed: **RosenDimitriforever40333, xX Dimka's girl 4 ever Xx, Roseanddimtriforever, Winter McCarth, Do'B, NekkaLovesChocolate, anon Sky, one our favorite anons Maelwaedd, shadow-kissed angel, and RukiaDeathKuchiki **- Chelsea Castile**


	12. Chapter 9: Part 1

**Disclaimer: We do not own VA, the wondrous Richelle Mead does.**

**I SNAPPED INTO HER MIND,**

Lissa groaned out loud. "Really Rose? Please tell me this is the only time..." She looked at me beseechingly.

I avoided her eyes. "Uh, yeah, Liss. Let's go along with that."

"Rose!" Lissa exclaimed sharply.

I looked at Mikhail pleadingly. He smiled slightly and continued on.

**once again seeing and directly experiencing what went on around her.**

**She was sneaking into the chapel's attic again, confirming my worst fears.**

Christian snorted, "Victor, Natalie, and Strigoi were out to get her, and your worst fear was her seeing me? That's kind of screwed up, don't you think?" He actually looked slightly hurt. I winced.

"At the time, my biggest concern was that, yes. This was before everything went to hell, back when I still believed the Academy was safe. Sorry. If you haven't noticed, I'm very overprotective of Lissa, and back then I didn't trust you, so yes, it was my biggest fear that you would hurt her, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or socially. Sorry," I said, kind of sheepish and defensive. I felt bad for breaking them up earlier on, but figured that I had more than made up for it in recent months.

"Well, since you apologized so nicely..." Christian joked.

"Wrong person to apologize to," Adrian sneered. "But I can't say I'm surprised; you have a habit of screwing people over, especially friends."

I looked down. He kind of had a point. I couldn't help but remember all the times I screwed things up for my friends, beginning with Lissa and Christian's relationship. Would she have cut herself that time after healing me if I hadn't driven Christian away? Would she have gone crazy with spirit darkness so soon? I'd hurt both of them. Then I had played Mason, and got him killed. And after all that, I ditched Lissa to go killed Dimitri, leaving her defenseless against Avery, and almost got her killed and out of a relationship. And for what? To become my undead lover's bloodwhore?

Mikhail, of all people, interrupted my thoughts. "You don't screw people over, Rose. Least of all your friends. You help them. Sure, you screw up sometimes, but never intentionally. Everyone makes mistakes. You do a lot of good, which outweighs any bad. Don't listen to him." He scooted forward and patted my arm.

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

**Like last time, she met no resistance. Good God, I thought, could that priest be any worse about securing his own chapel?**

"It's a church," Sydney complained. "It's supposed to be open at all times for people who need to pray."

I shrugged. "I know teenagers; most don't give two shits about God, or God's place. So I figured he'd at least try to keep his church safe."

Sydney frowned. "It's not _his _church, it's God's. He is simply spreading the word of God." She paused and looked at me for a moment before shaking her head in frustration. "Never mind."

**Sunrise lit up the stained-glass window, and Christian's silhouette was framed against it: he was sitting in the window seat.**

**"You're late," he told her. "Been waiting a while."**

"You had an actual meeting time?" Viktoria asked, raising her eyebrow.

Lissa nodded. "Yeah. I mean, we couldn't just show up randomly, not knowing if the other person was there or not."

"How come Rose was severely punished for running away, and Lissa got off with just a slap on the wrist?" Jill asked, looking puzzled.

"Because she is a Royal Moroi, and a princess. It was ruled that Rose was a bad influence on Lissa and took her away from the Academy. Pretty much, Lissa was Rose's victim, since she was the Dragomir Princess, so she wouldn't have been punished regardless of anything," Alberta replied.

Mia snorted. "Of course. Cause the Royals are sooo much better than everyone else," she bit out venomously.

Everybody in the room looked at her with surprise, even Adrian.

Mia seemed to realize what she'd said, and blushed slightly. "Present company excluded," she tacked on hurriedly. "I just...don't have good experience with Royals is all. Don't mind me."

She looked down, avoiding everyone's eyes. After a momentary pause, Mikhail began reading again.

**Lissa pulled up one of the rickety chairs, brushing dust off it. "I figured you'd be tied up with Headmistress Kirova."**

**He shook his head. "Not much to it. They suspended me for a week, that's all. Not like it's hard to sneak out." He waved his hands around. "As you can see."**

Mia shook her head. "See what I mean?" She left it at that, going back to studying the floor.

**"I'm surprised you didn't get more time."**

"I'm surprised you're surprised," Mia mumbled, seemingly to herself. No one responded.

**A patch of sunlight lit up his crystal-blue eyes. "Disappointed?"**

**She looked shocked. "You set someone on fire!"**

**"No, I didn't. Did you see any burns on him?"**

**"He was covered in flames."**

**"I had them under control. I kept them off of him."**

"And it was awesome!" Christian exclaimed.

Lissa rolled her eyes.

"Careful Pyro, one of these times you might burn off something you need...like your arm," I sniggered.

Christian snorted. "I'm not that dumb. My name's not Rose." He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Christina. You're just jealous you can't even punch something without breaking your hand in four places," I taunted him.

Christian's face turned red, no doubt remembering the time he tried to punch a guardian during the brief time I tried to teach him hand to hand combat, and ended up breaking his hand in three places.

"You punch worse than Lissa. And that's saying something," I continued.

"That was probably because he didn't have your amazing instruction," Lissa joked.

"What are you guys talking about?" Dimitri asked, looking confused. "When did Lissa punch someone?" He had a look of intense concentration, as if trying to remember the incident.

"Oh, well, it's a bit complicated. When you were Strigoi and I left school to find you, a new girl came to the school named Avery. She ended up compelling Lissa, or trying to compel her, to jump out the window. I was in her head, then Oksana went into Lissa's through mine so we were able to talk. Avery's brother Reed tried to attack her, so I gave her a crash course on how to throw a punch. When that failed, I took over her body, or well, guided her body with my mind to punch Reed in the face," I explained all in one breath.

Everyone who wasn't there looked dazed.

Sonya looked completely confused. "How did you manage that?" she exclaimed.

"Umm...I'm not sure myself; it was really confusing and hard to explain. What I told you isn't even half of what happened. I hope it's somewhere in the books." I paused. "Wow, did I just say I hoped something was in the books? I think there's something wrong with me..."

Lissa laughed. "I hope it's in the books too. I would love to know what happened then too. It was weird, even by your standards."

I shrugged. "I'm just that good."

"You're not cocky, not at all!" Mia said sarcastically.

I looked at her with mock surprise. "Of course not! Why would you think that?" I asked with equal sarcasm.

"Can we just continue the books?" Sydney interrupted. "I'd really like to get out of here before my thirtieth birthday."

"All right, all right, don't get your panties in a bunch," I joked, nodding to Mikhail to read.

**She sighed. "You shouldn't have done that."**

**Straightening out of his lounging position, he sat up and leaned toward her. "I did it for you."**

"Cause setting someone on fire for a girl isn't weird at all," Viktoria said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Not creepy or stalkerish, or anything."

Christian scowled, but Mikhail read on before he could answer, no doubt wanting to avoid an argument.

**"You attacked someone for me?"**

**"Sure. He was giving you and Rose a hard time. She was doing an okay job against him, I guess, but I figured she could use the backup. Besides, this'll shut anyone else up about the whole fox thing, too."**

"I could have handled it!" I protested. "Although...I guess thank you for shutting everyone up about the fox," I added grudgingly.

"What's this? An apology _and _a thank you from Rose Hathaway all in one day? What did you do to her!" Christian said, genuinely surprised.

I shrugged. "Don't get used to it. It's just cause I'm happy my family is all together finally. It really truly sunk in last night." I looked up at Dimitri with a smile, then at Mikhail. "Continue, please."

**"You shouldn't have done that," she repeated, looking away. She didn't know how to feel about this "generosity."**

"You should be thanking me with a giant kiss, and maybe more," Christian joked, looking down at Lissa.

She giggled. "Maybe later," she replied, looking up at him from her lashes. I pretended to gag.

"Hey, there's a baby in the room; keep it in your pants," I said warningly, leaning forward to check on my sleeping angel. Xavier looked so peaceful and innocent sleeping. His short brown hair, so much like mine, was splashed on the pillow. His little lips pouted. He looked almost exactly like Dimitri did when he was sleeping; it was absolutely adorable. As I watched, he stirred awake and started whimpering. Before he could full on cry, I picked him, knowing he was hungry. I quickly fed him while Mikhail continued reading.

**"And don't act like it was all for me. You liked doing it. Part of you wanted to—just because."**

**Christian's smug expression dropped, replaced by one of uncharacteristic surprise. Lissa might not be psychic, but she had a startling ability to read people.**

**Seeing him off guard, she continued. "Attacking someone else with magic is forbidden—and that's exactly why you wanted to do it. You got a thrill out of it."**

**"Those rules are stupid. If we used magic as a weapon instead of just for warm and fuzzy shit, Strigoi wouldn't keep killing so many of us."**

**"It's wrong," she said firmly. "Magic is a gift. It's peaceful."**

**"Only because they say it is. You're repeating the party line we've been fed our whole lives." He stood up and paced the small space of the attic. "It wasn't always that way, you know. We used to fight, right along with the guardians—centuries ago. Then people started getting scared and stopped. Figured it was safer to just hide. They forgot the attack spells."**

"You know Sparky, you bring up a good point. Thank God Lissa is allowing Moroi to fight now," I said as Xavier finished up. I burped him, then decided to let him crawl around on my lap. Giving Xavier to Dimitri for a moment, I grabbed a blanket off the couch and spread it on the floor in the corner of the room next to a window. I sat down on the blanket, which was a very large, soft, and a dark blue, spreading out for the entire expanse of the corner, half way across the room, and to the edge of the couches and chairs. I gestured for Dimitri to join me with Xavier.

"You can go back to listening; I lived it," I murmured to him as he set Xavier down next to me, sitting against the wall.

Dimitri shook his head. "No, I'd rather spend some time with the two of you," he murmured back. I was vaguely aware of everyone watching us, but I ignored them.

I turned to Dimitri, about to ask him if he could get some of Xavier's toys, only to find him already halfway to the playpen. I looked at him with amusement as he came back.

He raised an eyebrow.

I smirked. "How well you know me," I said smiling. "You guys continue reading," I added over my shoulder. Mikhail began reading again.

I tuned out for a bit as I watched Xavier crawl around, making sure he didn't eat anything he wasn't supposed to. I could see Dimitri watching him intently out of the corner of my eye. We sat close together, not talking, just watching our son crawl around and play in companionable silence.

Quietly, I leaned closer to Dimitri and whispered in his ear, "You know, he's going to start teething soon. I was there when Sonya's baby girl started teething; it was hell. So you better be prepared."

Dimitri nodded. "I remember. I was there when Paul started teething, as well as Vika. I'm prepared. There's a special thing you can give him to chew on; I don't know what it's called in America. We could also make it into a paste and apply it to his gums. Don't worry about it." He took my hand and squeezed it comfortingly. I nodded, but I couldn't help but still be slightly worried.

In the background, I could hear everyone else talking and commenting on what they read, but in front of me, all I could see was Xavier. Dimitri shifted away from me and began crawl-stalking toward Xavier. I smiled as Xavier, oblivious to the fact that his father was coming towards him, continued to play with his stuffed animals. Dimitri reached him, and stood up on his knees, then slowly began reaching for Xavier. Xavier, finally noticing the giant wall behind him, looking up just as Dimitri grabbed him around his middle and picked him up high. Xavier shrieked with laughter and I couldn't help but laugh with them. I could see Dimitri being extremely careful with him, making sure not to hurt him but still have fun.

I decided to go rescue my son from his monster father. I crawled over to them.

"I'll save you, Xavy!" I cried out, wrapping my arms around him. In a total ninja move, Dimitri let Xavier go into my hands without dropping or truly letting go of Xavier.

All three of us were laughing now. I set Xavier down next to me, and just as I let him go, Dimitri swooped in and started tickling him!  
The sound of Xavier's delighted giggles filled the room. My heart swelled with happiness and love at seeing the two of them play. I couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled out of my mouth, and I could hear several others chuckling at us. I decided to join in the fun.

"Hey, Xavy, wanna tickle Daddy?" I asked him, grinning. He smiled right back up at me, and tried to sit up, but couldn't quite manage it, so I helped him. Once he was sitting, he rolled over so he could crawl and started toward Dimitri, who had backed up as soon as I said 'tickle.'

"Oh, no, that's not fair!" he cried out as his back hit the wall, and still Xavier and I continued to go toward him until we were on either side, me covering the front so that he couldn't escape.

"C'mon, Xavy! Let's get daddy!" Xavier looked at me with a goofy grin. I smiled back then reached forward and started tickling Dimitri.

He instantly began laughing. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" He cried out, trying to cover himself. It was deja vu from earlier. Xavier just sat by laughing, sometimes trying to reach in and help, but mostly just watching.

I finally let Dimitri go, both of us collapsing next to each other, breathing hard. Xavier crawled on top of Dimitri's chest, looking worn out.

As we lay there, the story register in my mind.

**He leaned even closer. "That you use compulsion. All the time."**

I was surprised that they were only that far, but figured they were probably distracted by us.

**"No, I don't," she said immediately.**

**"Of course you do. I've been lying awake at night, trying to figure out how in the world you two were able to rent out a place and go to high school without anyone ever wanting to meet your parents. Then I figured it out. You had to be using compulsion. That's probably how you broke out of here in the first place."**

"Wow, Sparky, you really have no life..." I butted in.

Christian scowled. "So sorry I didn't have oodles of friends like you," he said sarcastically.

I nodded, mock serious. "Yes. It _must _be your smell. Or you amazing charm." I smirked.

Christian simply rolled his eyes. "Why don't you go back to acting like a five year old. It was nice and quiet without you."

I snorted. "It was quiet cause I'm the life of the party. Without me, your lives would all be a dull grey," I said philosophically.

"_Or _we would all be safe and sound and not going on insane rescue missions, or breaking people out of prison, or risking our lives...for the better of the world, of course," Eddie said, the last bit filled with sarcasm.

I sat up and rolled my eyes. "Oh, you guys love my insane plans. You would die of boredom otherwise," I replied.

"And what a terrible death that would be," Sydney muttered sarcastically.

"Wow, Syd, did you just make a joke?" I ask, astonished.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes," she replied tersely. "I'm known to do that once in awhile, you know."

"Can we continue?" Mom asked, scowling.

"Alright, let me just find my place," Mikhail answered.

**"I see. You just figured it out. Without any proof."**

**"I've got all the proof I need, just from watching you."**

"Stalker!" I cried out.

**"You've been watching me—spying on me—to prove I'm using compulsion?"**

**He shrugged. "No. Actually, I've been watching you just because I like it. The compulsion thing was a bonus. I saw you use it the other day to get an extension on that math assignment. And you used it on Ms. Carmack when she wanted to make you go through more testing."**

"Lissa!" Alberta chastised.

Lissa looked down. "Sorry. I was just so busy, I didn't have time to do it, and I really didn't want more testing," she mumbled, ashamed.

I opened my mouth to defend Lissa, but then closed it with a sigh. She needed to fight her own battles at times, and there really was no excuse for her to be using compulsion so often. I could tell from the bond that she felt really bad, remembering what it was like to be compelled. I shivered as I remembered myself.

"I'm really sorry," Lissa said again.

Alberta looked at her kindly. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," she reminded her.

Lissa nodded. Mikhail began reading again, and I tuned out again.

"You weren't sure?" Lissa said.

"Huh?" I blinked several times and looked up from watching Xavier sleep on Dimitri with confusion.

"You said you knew better, that I wasn't flirting, but then you said you weren't sure." Lissa looked at me with amusement. "You would think that you of all people would know if I was flirting or not." She pointed to her head.

I shrugged. "I think I was in denial at that point. I didn't want you to like him."

Lissa shook her head, then looked at Mikhail to continue.

**He went on, but something in his eyes told me he'd noticed the hair, that he always noticed everything about her.**

I zoned out again, watching Xavier instead. He looked adorable as he slept on Dimitri, his innocent face relaxed. Idly, I wondered if it was healthy for him to sleep that much, but filed the question away for when I could talk to Olena. I made a mental note to call her during dinner and ask.

"Dimitri, when you move back here, are you going to move in with us?" I whispered into his ear.

He looked at me, surprised. "Sure, if you want me to," he murmured back.

I smiled. "I'd like that. We'll get to be a real family," I said happily.

Dimitri smiled at me. "We are a family already, Roza," he said.

"You hear that, Rose?" Christian called out.

I looked up. "Huh?"

Christian looked at Mikhail. "Repeat those last two lines, would you?"

Mikhail sighed, but did as asked.

**He was right. Everything he'd said was right.**

Christian looked at me smugly. "See? I _am _right."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, cause you're a stalker," I replied.

Christian scowled. "I am _not _a stalker," he snapped.

I shrugged, sitting up. "Whatever you say, Edward," I said flippantly.

I stood up. "C'mon, Comrade. Let's put him to bed," I said, holding out my arms for Xavier.

Dimitri hesitated, but then shook his head. "No, I think I'll keep him in my arms," he said smiling down at Xavier.

_I'm going to take a picture, Rose. Make sure he doesn't see me, okay?_ Lissa sent through the bond.

_Gotcha,_ I sent back. I moved slightly to the right, block Dimitri's view of the couches, and subsequently Lissa. I could feel her sneaking over to us, and told her, _Make sure the flash is off. It's bright enough in here without it,_

_It is. _She assured me.

I could feel her behind me, leaning against my shoulder as she used it to prop up her camera. I stayed very still as she focused the camera, holding my breath. Then, with a small _click _the image was captured forever on the camera.

Dimitri looked up curiously at the sound, and gave me a disapproving look once he saw that Lissa had taken a picture.

"You know I don't like pictures," Dimitri grumbled.

I smiled. "Yeah, but the moment was too adorable to pass."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "Of course it was," he muttered. He held out a hand wordlessly. I grabbed it, helping him up as he kept Xavier motionless in one arm. We went back to our seats, Xavier still sleeping in Dimitri's arms.

**Her compulsion was what had allowed us to dodge authority and get along in the world without adult help. It was what had allowed us to convince the bank to let her tap into her inheritance.**

I saw Abe nodding to himself and stroking his beard. "Whatever it is that you're planning old man, don't do it," I said warningly.

He looked at me innocently. "Why in the world would you think I was planning something?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm your daughter, remember?" I reminded him.

"So you used compulsion to escape?" Alberta asked. "What did you do, just tell the guardians at the front gates to let you out?"

I shook my head. "I'll tell you after the book, just in case it's in it," I said.

Alberta frowned, but then nodded okay.

**And it was considered every bit as wrong as using magic as a weapon. Why not? It was a weapon. A powerful one, one that could be abused very easily.**

I scowled, remembering Jesse, then Avery after him.

**Moroi children had it drilled into them from an early age that compulsion was very, very wrong. No one was taught to use it, though every Moroi technically had the ability. Lissa had just sort of stumbled into it— deeply—**

I felt Lissa shivering as she remembered what had happened. I couldn't help but shudder myself. It was one of the only times I had felt true fear.

**and, as Christian had pointed out, she could wield it over Moroi, as well as humans and dhampirs.**

**"What are you going to do then?" she asked. "You going to turn me in?"**

**He shook his head and smiled. "No. I think it's hot."**

I wrinkled my nose.

"You know, Christian, it's kind of seriously disturbing that you think that," Viktoria said. "What's next? It'll be a serious turn on for you if she compels someone to death?"

Both Lissa and I shuddered once more. "Don't joke about that, Vika," Dimitri said seriously, shifting Xavier to one arm so he could wrap the other around me.

Viktoria rolled her eyes. "Not like she could," she snarked out.

"On the contrary," Sonya began, "she could. She could compel someone to jump off a cliff, as demonstrated in the first chapter. You could also scare someone to death, and by compelling a person to see their worst nightmare, killing them by fear is a great possibility. Spirit can do many great things. Horrible, but great." She got a faraway look in her eye, no doubt thinking of her decision to turn. Mikhail wrapped his arms around her, setting the book down. Sonya leaned into his chest and he stroked her hair comfortingly, murmuring in her ear.

We all sat quietly for a few moments, letting them have their moment. I looked up at Dimitri at the same time as he looked down at me. Turning Strigoi had done terrible things to him, but spirit saved him. I had almost killed Jesse because of spirit, which had prompted Dimitri to take me to the cabin to calm me down, which led to sex. Spirit had brought me back to life, giving me a second chance. Spirit darkness had caused me to kill Victor. Of course, the aftermath of it caused Dimitri and me to have sex once more, but spirit was a terrible and wonderful thing. If not for spirit, Lissa would be dead now because of Avery. If not for spirit, Lissa would never have been put in that position, on the ledge of her window.

I sighed. It truly was two sides of the same coin.

Mikhail picked up the book again with one hand, the other still wrapped around Sonya.

**She stared, eyes widening and heart racing. Something about the shape of his lips intrigued her. "Rose thinks you're dangerous," she blurted out nervously. "She thinks you might have killed the fox."**

"Gee, Liss, if you didn't want him so badly, all you had to do was leave. No need to bring me into the conversation," I teased her.

Lissa blushed. "Well, I was nervous. I wasn't sure what I was doing or what was going on so I blurted out the first thing I could think of," she defended herself.

"If you wanted to kiss me so bad, you could've just asked," Christian said huskily, leaning close to her.

Lissa looked at him through her lashes, wanted burning through her body.

I groaned. "Really, Liss? The least you could do is block off the bond. Bad enough I have to witness your sex life when you're in the privacy of your own room. I do not want to see it in person," I griped.

Lissa's blush deepened. "Sorry, Rose," she mumbled.

Christian just snorted. "You're just jealous you're not getting any," he said snarkily.

I glared at him, not wanting to admit how right he was. I was kind of jealous of how easy Lissa and Christian had it. Lissa never had to go without Christian for a year because he needed to heal from his Strigoi time. She never had to keep the fact that she was pregnant secret from him. Or give birth to their son without him. I looked away, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

"I'm so sorry, Roza," Dimitri whispered in my ear.

I looked up at him softly. "I understand, Comrade," I murmured. "It wasn't your fault."

He searched my eyes for a few moments before deciding I was telling the truth.

**I didn't know how I felt about being dragged into this bizarre conversation. Some people were scared of me. Maybe he was too.**

**Judging from the amusement in his voice when he spoke, it appeared he wasn't.**

Christian shrugged. "Nothing to be scared of," he said casually.

I snorted. "And that fact that I could tear your head off before you even realize what's happening doesn't bother you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Christian shook his head. "You'd never do that to Lissa," he replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say Sparky."

**"People think I'm unstable, but I tell you, Rose is ten times worse. Of course, that makes it harder for people to fuck with you, so I'm all for it."**

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said smugly.

Christian just rolled his eyes.

**Leaning back on his heels, he finally broke the intimate space between them.**

"Ooh, someone doesn't want a kiss," I teased.

"Oh, but I did. I just didn't want to screw things up between us," Christian said snarkily. "Unlike _someone_ I know I don't take advantage of my girlfriend every time she's within a foot of me."

I snorted. "Dimitri was much closer than a foot. More like five inches." I scoffed.

"You took advantage of your mentor, Rose?" Mom exclaimed.

I winced. Oops. I'd forgotten she was there. "Erm, no, Mom, why would you think that?" I asked, tittering nervously.

Her eyes narrowed at me, but she let it slide.

**"And I sure as hell didn't do that. Find out who did, though…and what I did to Ralf won't seem like anything."**

**His gallant offer of creepy vengeance didn't exactly reassure Lissa…but it did thrill her a little.**

"Didn't know you liked it rough." Adrian smirked darkly. "Whips and chains excite you too? Or just fire? Explains why you're best friends with such a violent person who likes to break things. Like hearts."

"Don't talk to her like that, you asshole," Christian growled at Adrian.

Adrian simply shrugged, taking a swig of Jack, which he'd seemingly pull out of nowhere.

**"I don't want you doing anything like that. And I still don't know who did it."**

**He leaned back toward her and caught her wrists in his hands. He started to say something, then stopped and looked down in surprise, running his thumbs over faint, barely there scars. Looking back up at her, he had a strange—for him— kindness in his face.**

"Every look on your face is strange; your face is strange, period," I said matter-of-factly.

Christian scowled.

"See? There's another of those weird looks."

"Roza, leave Christian alone," Dimitri chastised me.

I frowned at him, and he looked back at me pleadingly.

I sighed. "Alright..."

**"You might not know who did it. But you know something. Something you aren't talking about."**

**She stared at him, a swirl of emotions playing in her chest. "You can't know all my secrets," she murmured.**

"I do now," Christian said kissing her.

I groaned. "Will you two knock it off?!" I cried out. "I feel like I'm getting cavities from all of your sweetness."

Lissa blushed. "Sorry."

Christian simply stuck his tongue out at me. I rolled my eyes.

**He glanced back down at her wrists and then released them, that dry smile of his back on his face. "No. I guess not."**

**A feeling of peace settled over her, a feeling I thought only I could bring.**

**Returning to my own head and my room, I sat on the floor staring at my math book. Then, for reasons I didn't really get, I slammed it shut and threw it against the wall.**

"Oooh, is Rosie jealous?" Christian teased me.

I glared at him. "Rosie is going to put her fist through your face if you call her Rosie one more time," I growled.

"Calm down, Roza," Dimitri murmured. He leaned down, and gently set Xavier in his playpen, then sat back up and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

_**A/N: So, so, sorry for the long wait! School is...well, school. Hectic, homework...ugh! Updates will be few and far between, we'll be honest. But...the next half shouldn't be too long coming. Both of us are focusing more on our individual stories, and less on this, but we won't forget you! Thank you all for your reviews! Xoxoxoxo. ~Tatiana Belikova **_

_**Same issue with me, college work is hectic and there's been me moving and health issues. So please bear with us. We're not abandoning you or this project. we just may end up updating every two weeks until we can get out hectic schedules under control. Thank you and we love you all. Also, I changed my penname from Chelsea Castile to Chelsea Jay so don't forget it :) lol - Chelsea Jay**_

_**Thank you to these wonderful reviewers: **__Ozera's Buffy, RosenDimitriforever40333, anon , 4everLucky18, NekkaLovesChocolate, CarrotsandHarry, Do'B, anon Three in London, shadow-kissed angel, and our mystery Guest. Also, , sorry for making you wait longer. Hopefully this update made you feel better!_


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